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1 – 10 of over 46000The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between the emerging European activation policies and the evolution of domestic activation policies and its governance…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to examine the relationship between the emerging European activation policies and the evolution of domestic activation policies and its governance. Drawing on the emerging Europeanization debate and comparative literature on activation, the crucial research question will be the following: is there a European Union (EU)‐induced convergence in domestic activation policies in the EU?
Design/methodology/approach
Following Bonoli's work, the article unpacks activation in two dimensions (human capital investment and employment market orientation) and looks at the trajectories of seven Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development (OECD) countries using OECD active labour market policy (ALMP) expenditure data.
Findings
The article argues that there is only limited EU‐induced convergence towards the employment assistance component of the EU hybrid model and similarly limited convergence can be seen with respect to the governance of activation policies. Although fully‐fledged explanations of such limited convergence go beyond the scope of this article, the paper puts forward two tentative explanations which should be tested with further research: first, the lack of convergence may lie primarily in the overall “softness” of the European Employment Strategy (which means, among other things, limited resources), but the lack of convergence may also lie in the lack of administrative capacities enabling member state governments to fully implement innovative activation policies.
Originality/value
The paper is innovative since it empirically tests the role of European policies and ideas in shaping domestic reforms of activation policies. Contrary to other findings, the article shows that there is a limited degree of convergence and that the role is particularly negligible with respect to implementation capacities of reformed activation strategies.
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Emma Carmel, Kate Hamblin and Theo Papadopoulos
This paper seeks to evaluate the EU's “active ageing” agenda as a governance strategy for the activation of older workers, and its impact on the regulation both of those who make…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper seeks to evaluate the EU's “active ageing” agenda as a governance strategy for the activation of older workers, and its impact on the regulation both of those who make, and those who are the objects of, policy. This case study is used to reflect more broadly on the implications of governance strategies for the regulation of social subjects in the European Union (EU).
Design/methodology/approach
The paper adopts a model of governance comprising two dimensions, namely formal policy (policy aims) and operational policy (policy means). This model is used to explain how and to what effect, discourses and institutions interact in EU governance to produce particular forms of social subject regulation; in this case, activation.
Findings
For the operational dimension, the paper explores how contradictions and tensions within and between employment, pensions and social inclusion policies are reflected in, and the products of, a re‐allocation of responsibilities between the EU, member states, social partners, and individuals. For the formal dimension, it explains how employment for older workers is constructed as having a different meaning to the employment of other workers, and how EU discourse on active ageing disguises crucial inequalities between groups of older workers, both pre‐ and post‐retirement.
Research implications/limitations
The paper concludes that active ageing policy in the EU institutes a new category of social subject, apparently eliding the former distinction between employment and retirement, namely the “activated retiree”.
Originality/value
The paper demonstrates the efficacy of the two‐dimensional approach to the empirical analysis of governance strategies and identifies how key tensions in the production of EU social policies directly impact on the regulation of social subject categories in the EU.
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While some EU countries have successfully reduced unemployment and increased employment, others could only accomplish partial success; therefore, unemployment rates across the EU…
Abstract
While some EU countries have successfully reduced unemployment and increased employment, others could only accomplish partial success; therefore, unemployment rates across the EU are still much higher than in the 1970s. There are still large regional differences in terms of unemployment despite considerable region-specific transactions to counter-act such differences. Different employment outcomes are the consequence of many factors – such as the demographic trends, the general economic situation, the structure of the economy, the existing welfare and labour market situation, or the level of employment protection – but it may also be the outcome of the effectiveness of the local labour market measures. Local action is important for effective employment policies. Where national policies and implementation measures are sufficiently flexible and adjustable, local level actors can develop integrated approaches to economic growth, maximizing employment opportunities and helping to lessen inequalities and social exclusion in their communities. Mobilization and activity of local communities in combating unemployment are essential to translate national and regional strategies into action on the ground. Local actors purportedly best understand local conditions, aspirations, and needs. There is no magic button for overcoming obstacles and problems, but there are some positive experiences that can be applied or adjusted. The chapter describes the activities and experiences of EU and local initiatives and the problems of institutional organizations.
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The chapter elaborates a critical theoretical narrative about the political economy of European capitalism. It illustrates how precariousness has been exacerbated by the impact of…
Abstract
The chapter elaborates a critical theoretical narrative about the political economy of European capitalism. It illustrates how precariousness has been exacerbated by the impact of the global financial crisis and the emergence of a new system of European governance. Theoretical accounts in the sociology of work and labor studies have demonstrated the complexity of the outcomes and widely discussed the role of national labor market institutions and employment policies and practices, political ideology, and cultural frameworks impinging upon precarious work as a multidimensional concept. The chapter’s core concern is to illustrate how shifts in power resources, and particularly the weakening and deinstitutionalization of organized labor relative to capital, has acted as a central social condition that has brought about precariousness during the years leading up to and following the 2007–2008 crisis. In so doing, the chapter aims to overcome the existing theoretical accounts of precariousness which have often been limited by one or another variant of “methodological nationalism,” thereby exploring the transnational apparatuses that are emerging across national economies to date, and which impinge upon the structures and experiences that workers exhibit in an age of growing marketization.
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Edgar Pereira, Mary Kyriazopoulou and Harald Weber
Vocational Education and Training (VET) prepares citizens to participate in the labour market, but requires continuous development to adapt to the impacts of global trends, to…
Abstract
Vocational Education and Training (VET) prepares citizens to participate in the labour market, but requires continuous development to adapt to the impacts of global trends, to become more attractive and relevant, to support lifelong learning, to encourage creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship, and to become more inclusive. European legislation and structural funds improved VET for people with SEN and/or disabilities, for example in the case of the European qualifications framework (EQF) and the national qualifications frameworks (NQFs). NQFs often lead to the development of a national qualifications catalogue, specifying training standards for all, including people with SEN/disabilities, yet with the challenge to achieve the right balance between the flexibility and the standardisation requirements of programmes and procedures. A recent European Agency project investigated the key aspects of VET programmes for learners with SEN and/or disabilities in 26 European countries and identified success factors that contributed to auspicious VET and transition to employment for learners with SEN and/or disabilities. These factors will finalise this chapter showing, in an inclusive design perspective, that they benefit all learners.
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This paper is a summary of the text of a keynote presentation delivered to delegates at the Ninth Annual Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference on 23rd March, 1999…
Abstract
This paper is a summary of the text of a keynote presentation delivered to delegates at the Ninth Annual Small Business and Enterprise Development Conference on 23rd March, 1999. With no real change or reduction in sight for the 17 million European Union citizens who are currently unemployed, a major concern of the European Commission is to develop policies which will encourage and foster employment opportunities. However, a significant problem, especially for the long‐term unemployed, is to ensure that they are equipped with up‐to‐date skills and knowledge to meet the challenges facing the European economy in the 21st century. It is generally accepted that small and medium‐sized firms have a major contribution to make to both economic development and, in turn, reducing unemployment. SMEs demand a skilled and flexible workforce and the European Commission recognises the need for policies which facilitate the development and continuous updating of workforce skills. Current European Union initiatives recognise the importance of integration and interdependency across member states but also recognise, and indeed emphasise, the role and contribution of local initiatives. These initiatives are enshrined in the European Employment Strategy which is founded upon four key priorities; employability, entrepreneurship, adaptability and equal opportunities. The creation, development and implementation of policy is based upon sound analysis which necessarily demands high‐quality applied research. This is an area in which academic institutions, in particular, can, should and do make a significant contribution. Currently, there is a need for further research across a broad spectrum of initiatives ranging from basic research covering topics such as enterprise demography through to broadening definitions of entrepreneurship and enterprise. A significant proportion of this work is, and will continue to be, supported and coordinated by the European Commission. Information sources describing the fundamental requirements and needs are available on the Internet.
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Enrico Marelli and Marcello Signorelli
The purpose of this paper is to identify the main “models of growth” characterising the EU countries in the last two decades, with particular reference to the employment…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify the main “models of growth” characterising the EU countries in the last two decades, with particular reference to the employment‐productivity relationship, and to reveal the key determinants of productivity.
Design/methodology/approach
After a survey of the relevant literature, the empirical section analyses the “models of growth” by graphical inspection, identifying four models (for EU‐27 in the 1990‐2008 period): extensive, intensive, virtuous, and stagnant. Then different econometric investigations (beta convergence, dynamic panel with GMM estimation, fixed effects panel, cross‐section) are used to test the “diminishing returns of employment rate” hypothesis (for the 2000‐2006 period), to assess the convergence processes and to determine the key variables affecting productivity.
Findings
The main finding is the confirmation of the hypothesis mentioned: high employment growth is likely to lead to slower productivity growth. Moreover, besides verifying the beta convergence of productivity per worker, the most significant determinants of productivity are the following: education, a transition index, some structural indicators, and a “shadow economy” proxy. Finally, the descriptive analysis shows that “old” EU countries, coming from two decades of “jobless growth”, shifted to an “extensive” growth model; in contrast, transition countries (NMS) followed the opposite path: reducing employment and raising productivity.
Research limitations/implications
It would be advisable to extend the period of the analysis, as soon as new data become available.
Practical implications
The main policy implication is to get the EU Lisbon strategy – i.e. to create “more and better” jobs – working effectively.
Originality/value
The most original finding is the clear assessment of an employment‐productivity trade‐off. Also, the different models of growth are categorised simply and effectively.
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In a globalised economy, the EU, being self-confident, could shape international standards by defending and promoting its own socioeconomic model. Social democratic parties…
Abstract
In a globalised economy, the EU, being self-confident, could shape international standards by defending and promoting its own socioeconomic model. Social democratic parties rhetorically confess the need for a ‘European social model’, but meanings and ways to achieve it differ largely. In a comparative case study on the programmatic positioning of the German Sozialdemokratische Partei Deutschlands and the Spanish Partido Socialista Obrero Español, the parties' perspectives on the integration mode and their handling of the Economic and Monetary Union framework and its crisis over the last decade are traced. Although similar paths from neoliberal convictions of the ‘third way’ to a positive integration process in a fiscal union setting are found, the scope and levels vary, illustrating the abilities of both parties to meet new transnational challenges. The crisis of the Eurozone was a definitive turning point for the positioning of the Social Democrats in Spain in favour of more political and fiscal integration. In contrast, their German comrades already advocated increased social integration of the EU since 2005 but remained very cautious regarding reforms of the economic framework established by the Eurozone.
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Describes two‐way dialogue, between each side of industry, is a key element in social policy. Proposes to analyse and comment on some of the social dialogue, in particular both…
Abstract
Describes two‐way dialogue, between each side of industry, is a key element in social policy. Proposes to analyse and comment on some of the social dialogue, in particular both the role and significance of this notion in the soon‐to‐be enlarged Europe. Acknowledges that the ten candidate countries that join on 1 May 2004 must build a social dialogue and negotiate and conclude collective agreements.
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