REMINDER: MREV – Call for Papers: Good Work: Eroding and New Standards in a Changing World

Guest Editors:
Sven Hauff, Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg
Daniela Rastetter, University of Hamburg

Special Issue
The changing context of work – e.g. though globalisation, intensification of competition, deregulation, growth in employment flexibility, technological changes, digitalization – increasingly triggers debates about the quality of working life and concerns about the well-being of employees. Observations of precarious forms of employment or increasing demands and intensification of work thereby often elicit nostalgic memories of the apparently ‘good old days’ where work was characterized by full-time employment, an adequate income, a permanent contract, and social insurance. However, these ‘old’ standards of ‘good work’ did not apply to all employees and even in the ‘good old days’, work was often characterized by strict hierarchy and low influence, where employees’ interests were largely neglected. Here, modern forms of employment could lead to improvements by providing, for example, more autonomy, involvement, flexible working hours, a better work life balance, and inclusion.

The question of how to evaluate the changes in the world of work is not easy and there are manifold perspectives how to define the standards of ‘good work’. One perspective could be to identify the work and employment conditions that are actually increasing or threatening employee well-being. A particular challenge here is to consider the different dimensions of employee well-being, which includes aspects like physical and mental health, satisfaction, engagement or fairness. Another perspective could be to confront the new developments to the aspirations and values of employees. The latter are also changing since new generations enter the labour market, since women increasingly participate in the labour force, or because migration movements lead to an increasing diversity. Finally, one could contrast the changes with the current regulations in labour and social law concerning employee protection rights, working time and wage standards, social security, and representation of employees’ interests.

In this Special Issue we want to bring together research that addresses the issue of eroding and new standards of ‘good work’ and we encourage researchers to share their thoughts with us. Contributions should address one or more of the following questions:

  • Which standards of good work erode or fade, evolve or change?
  • What are the driving forces behind these changing standards?
  • What influence do digitalisation and globalisation have on the standards of good work?
  • What standards of work are emerging in new forms of organisation such as crowd work platforms?
  • How do individual standards of good work – such as working hours, wages, health and safety, co-determination, trade union representation, or equal opportunities – develop?
  • How can new forms of HRM or business strategies like diversity management support standards of good work?
  • What effects do this change in the standards of good work have on workers and their ability to work and perform?
  • Are standards of good work developing in new fields, for example on the question of religious practice, spirituality and the search for meaning in the workplace?
  • What are the effects for companies and businesses? Which strategies do companies and businesses choose when dealing with new standards, or which strategies lead to new standards?

Deadline
Full papers for this special issue of management revue – Socio-Economic Studies must be submitted by December 30, 2019. All contributions will be subject to double-blind review. Papers invited to a “revise and resubmit” are due June 31, 2020. The publication is scheduled for issue 2/2021. Please submit your papers electronically via the online submission system at http://www.mrev.nomos.de/ using “SI Standards of Good Work” as article section.

Submission Guidelines
Manuscript length should not exceed 8,000 words (excluding references) and the norm should be 30 pages in double-spaced type with margins of about 3 cm (1 inch) on each side of the page. Further, please follow the guidelines on the journal’s website (http://www.mrev.nomos.de/guidelines/).

Hoping to hear from you!
Sven Hauff
Daniela Rastetter