Papers by James J Wickham
Economic and Social Review, 1997
Ireland's current position within the "global information society" depends upon the previous hist... more Ireland's current position within the "global information society" depends upon the previous history of industrialisation by invitation. The paper begins by outlining this experience and then suggesting that it has created two major areas of political choice. Education can remain defined by the immediate needs of "industry", or it can become the key component of a national system of innovation. Social policy issues raise the question whether "the information society" in Ireland will be developed according to European Union or US models. The paper concludes by claiming that the social structure of the "information society" is not a pre-ordained development -the pattern of development can be influenced by conscious political decisions.
It is a general understanding that the advanced economies are currently undergoing a fundamental ... more It is a general understanding that the advanced economies are currently undergoing a fundamental transformation into knowledge-based societies. There is a firm belief that this is based on the development of high-tech industries. Correspondingly, in this scenario low-tech sectors appear to be less important. A critique of this widely held belief is the starting point of this book. It is often overlooked that many of the current innovation activities are linked to developments inside the realm of low-tech. Thus the general objective of the book is to contribute to a discussion concerning the relevance of low-tech industries for industrial innovativeness in the emerging knowledge economy.
Industrial Relations Journal, 2018
Formal and informal employment have traditionally been perceived as separate. This division usual... more Formal and informal employment have traditionally been perceived as separate. This division usually has a social, geographical and temporal character. However, it has also been argued that formal and informal economic practices are not necessarily distinctive and often coexist within the same spaces, firms or even jobs. This article explores the blurring boundaries between formal and informal work. By using examples from four sectors of the Irish economy, we demonstrate how some employers ‘informalise’ working conditions of their formal employees. As we show, such informalisation is mainly focused on cutting employment costs and setting earnings below the minimum wage. This has resulted in a further erosion of the formal–informal division in some sectors of Ireland's post‐recession labour market.
Power, conflict & inequality
TASC discussion papers are intended as a contribution to debate. They are not refereed. Readers a... more TASC discussion papers are intended as a contribution to debate. They are not refereed. Readers are invited to submit comments to the author.
Employment conditions and the culture of work
Manchester University Press eBooks, May 16, 2016
From boom to bust: Migrant labour and employers in the Irish construction sector
Economic & Industrial Democracy, Feb 22, 2011
This article analyses labour migration through a case study of migrants and employers in the Iris... more This article analyses labour migration through a case study of migrants and employers in the Irish construction sector. It seeks to locate the choices of both sides of the employment relationship in a broader socioeconomic context that takes into account the regulatory environment and the labour market situation. The authors show how both sides of the employment relationship took advantage of Ireland’s open labour market policy in 2004. As employers were keen to fill skill and labour shortages in a buoyant construction sector, migrants found employment with relative ease, often involving subcontracting arrangements and informal recruitment patterns. During the boom years the sector provided considerable opportunities for migrants at different skill levels. However, now that the sector has moved from ‘boom to bust’, the employment context has dramatically changed. In the light of large-scale job losses the bargaining position of employers has increased as migrants try to cope with deteriorating employment conditions.
Accessing healthcare services as a precarious worker in Ireland
Irish Journal of Sociology
The growth and the nature of precarious work has become an important subject of research on conte... more The growth and the nature of precarious work has become an important subject of research on contemporary employment. Equally, there has been an increased interest among researchers in understanding the social consequences of precarious employment. There is an increasing awareness of the negative affect on health posed by precarious work. However, a relatively unexplored issue is the extent to which access to healthcare depends on the form of both precarious work and of healthcare provision in a specific nation state. This article explores the social implications of precarious work, with a focus on access to healthcare services in Ireland. 40 qualitative interviews were conducted with precarious workers living in Ireland that took place between July and October 2017.These were part of a broader study called the Social Implications of Precarious Work Project. A thematic analysis was conducted, which revealed the following: precarious employment often makes access to basic healthcare p...
Routes into employment
New mobilities in Europe, 2016
Irish Journal of Sociology, 2018
Migrant workers in the construction industry are often taken to be motivated purely by short-term... more Migrant workers in the construction industry are often taken to be motivated purely by short-term financial gains. The dramatic influx of Polish workers into the Irish building industry during the Celtic Tiger boom thus appears a clear case of economic migration. A qualitative panel study (2008–2013) which interviewed Polish construction workers through the boom and subsequent recession reveals a more complex picture. Migrants’ initial move to Ireland was sometimes motivated partly by non-financial concerns such as the desire for new experiences. When the construction industry crashed, many migrants did leave Ireland, but interviews with them back in Poland showed that family issues such as children’s education had been important. Many migrants remained in Ireland, sometimes facilitated by access to unemployment benefits. The Polish construction workers included some with technical and professional qualifications and these appear more likely to have stayed in Ireland. This decision ...
Working in the Gold Rush: Polish Migrants’ Careers and the Irish Hospitality Sector
Work Matters, 2009
Learning from Poland? What Recent Mass Immigration to Ireland Tells Us about Contemporary Irish Migration
Enacting Globalization, 2014
Immigration in Europe is still understood in terms of the ‘Gastarbeiter’ immigration of the post-... more Immigration in Europe is still understood in terms of the ‘Gastarbeiter’ immigration of the post-World War II boom: the permanent movement of unskilled workers from one country to another. A study of young educated Polish migrants in Dublin shows the limited contemporary relevance of this model: this was mobility rather than traditional migration, with journeys understood in terms of autonomy and self-development. Some contemporary Irish emigration is similar. The mass emigration of young people from Poland at the start of this century was prototypical for the individualistic forms of mobility of young Europeans today.
Irish Journal of Sociology, 2015
This article examines the ability of young Irish graduates to enact mobility as a form of persona... more This article examines the ability of young Irish graduates to enact mobility as a form of personal and career development both during economic expansion and recession. Of particular interest is the observation that Irish graduates are much more mobile than those in other countries which were also badly affected by the recession. Drawing from a study of recent Irish graduate emigrants (Irish Graduate Abroad Study), the article demonstrates how Irish graduates have successfully negotiated routes into global labour markets, facilitated by the relatively straightforward recognition of their qualifications, their ability to speak English and the visa permissions that enable such movement. Irish graduates have incredible global networks generated through a family history of migration. Irish graduates also have a considerable prior culture of mobility facilitated through institutionally mediated mobility programmes. Taken together, Irish graduates have amongst the lowest barriers globally ...
‘Boundaryless careers’: mobility across organisations and nations
New mobilities in Europe, 2013
Routes into employment: migrant aspirations and employer strategies
New mobilities in Europe, 2013
From ‘boom to bust’: Polish migrants in the Irish labour market
New mobilities in Europe, 2013
Understanding Walkability: How Policymakers Assess Factors That Influence Active Transport
ISEE Conference Abstracts
Kevin M. Leyden,Centre for Innovation and Structural Change, J.E. Cairnes School of Business &... more Kevin M. Leyden,Centre for Innovation and Structural Change, J.E. Cairnes School of Business & Economics, College of Business, Public Policy and Law, National University of Ireland, Galway, Ireland Lorraine Fitzsimons, School of Health and Human Performance Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland Catherine Woods, Head of the School of Health and Human Performance, Senior Lecturer at Dublin City University, Dublin, Ireland James Wickham, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Large- scale migration in an open labour market: the Irish experience with post- 2004 labour mobility and the regulation of employment standards
Ethnic diversity and the national welfare state
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Papers by James J Wickham