Part-time employment in Hong Kong: a gendered phenomenon?

In recent years, part-time employment in Hong Kong has grown considerably. Unlike Western industrialized countries where women play an overwhelming role in this form of employment, in Hong Kong a large proportion (44 per cent) of part-time workers are male. This study addresses the extent, patterns and trends in part-time employment in Hong Kong. In addition, it examines gender differences (such as age pattern, marital status, sectoral and occupational distribution) in this form of employment. Statistical analysis of survey data reveals that certain socio-demographic variables have differential effects on participation in part-time work for men and women. Finally, practical implications and future research directions are discussed.     

Part-Time Employment of Married Women in the U.S.A

A bstract . The rapid growth since 1970, and especially in the 1980s, of part-time and temporary employment was attributed to the transition of the economy from manufacturing to service production and to labor demand side factors. Since part-timers are predominantly women and the majority of the female labor force are married women, the association between the female labor force participation rate and the part-time employment of married women across the 48 continental states of America in 1980 are explored. The empirical study supports the positive association between the two variables, but fails to support the role of the service sector in explaining part-time employment of married women across the states of America.     

Women of color in the labor market

While the labor force participation rates of women have increased, and women work in a wider range of occupations than they did two decades ago, there remain gaps between the status of women and men, as well as between white women and women of color. Additionally, as the female labor force becomes more diverse, there are also differences among women of color in labor force participation, unemployment, and occupational status. Based on projections regarding the future structure of the labor force, it is likely that even as the status of some women of color improves, many will remain stuck in low-wage service and clerical jobs.     

Support for part-time work as a channel to female employment: the moderating effects of national gender empowerment and labour market conditions

Using a multi-source data set collected across eight European countries, this article examines how characteristics of both the organizational environment and the larger national context relate to the organizational-level variable of women's employment. Our study revealed that, in countries that were high in gender empowerment measure (GEM), establishments that were more supportive of part-time work options also employed a higher proportion of women. One reason for this relationship may be that in high-GEM countries offering part-time employment is a way for an organization to signal its support for work–life balance, something that makes it more attractive to women. In countries with low GEM, an establishment's greater support for part-time work was associated with employing a greater proportion of women only when establishments experienced recruitment difficulties. Key differences in gender empowerment between countries are discussed.     

Educational presorting and occupational segregation

This article concentrates on the measurement of both occupational and educational segregation between men and women of the Dutch labour force. The majority of studies which have been conducted in this area are rather one-sided, concentrating on occupational segregation only. However, occupational segregation can be split into three components. The first component concerns presorting as a consequence of the different educational choices made by boys and girls. The second component concerns postsorting (given their educational status), as a result of the differing occupational choices and opportunities for promotion between men and women during their careers. If men and women with the same educational background are directed towards different occupations, then postsorting may add to the occupational segregation which was already induced by the earlier educational segregation. This kind of postsorting increases the gap between occupational and educational segregation. The third component, which we refer to as reintegration, is also a kind of postsorting but narrowing the gap between occupational and educational segregation. This occurs when men with a `male type' of education and women with a `female type' of education come together in one occupation. Given that educational segregation of the labour force is fixed in the short term, reintegration is the only effective, but probably difficult affirmative action program to reduce occupational segregation in the short term. More usual programs are ineffective and can even be counterproductive. A more detailed insight into these three components is relevant when choosing the policy instruments needed to achieve equal employment opportunities for men and women. The paper shows that from 1979 until 1993/1994 educational segregation increased, but occupational segregation decreased. Partly, this is explained by increased reintegration, but the main cause of these developments is a clear increase in presorting in education.     

Women and part-time work

This article reports some of the results of a new and large survey which focuses on women and work. In relation to part-time work the survey confirms that the traditional factors explaining the demand for such work continue to be important but that current trends in the economy are not favourable to female employees seeking part-time work.     

Atypical workforce: raising the status of part-time employment-Canada

Part-time employment is a theme of major significance in political and corporate debate in the European Community. This article extends the debate to the Canadian experience and concludes that even with government intervention there has been no significant improvement in the status of part-time workers over the last decade.     

Desired and actual labour supply of unmarried men and women in the Netherlands

Desired and actual working hours of unmarried adults are analyzed. A discrete structural neoclassical model is used to explain desired hours, which depend on gross wage rates, tax and benefit rules, other income, and some background variables. The model takes account of fixed costs of working and of prediction errors in wage rates of nonworkers. Actual hours are explained from desired hours and hours restrictions. Deviations between actual and desired hours are used to identify equations for involuntary unemployment and the lack of part-time jobs. The model is estimated using cross-section data from the Dutch Socio-Economic Panel. We find larger wage elasticities of desired hours of work for women than for men. Involuntary unemployment and a lack of part-time jobs appear to be important sources of hours restrictions. Individuals with (potential) wages below the minimum wage have a significantly larger probability of involuntary unemployment than others.     

Part-time employment and industrial relations developments in the EEC*

Voluntary part-time work is now an established feature of EEC labour markets. In this article the author discusses the issues surrounding the Council's directive on voluntary part-time work and argues that it represents an acknowledgement by governments, employers and trade unions that part-time workers do not constitute a part of the marginal labour force.     

Trends in occupational sex segregation in Hong Kong

This study investigates the recent trends in occupational sex segregation in Hong Kong. It employs census data for 1991 and 1996 on the occupational distribution by sex to construct several segregation indexes. Based on these indexes, the relative impacts of the changes in the employment structure and in the gender composition of jobs are evaluated. The concentration of men and women in the occupational structure is also examined. It is found that economic restructuring in Hong Kong has brought about subtle changes in the pattern of occupational sex segregation over time. Specifically, the growth of managerial and professional occupations has facilitated the entry of young and better-educated women into these prestigious jobs. The expansion of low-level service jobs has also absorbed a great number of middle-aged women moving from the declining manufacturing sector. Finally, some policy and organizational implications are discussed.     

Unequal jobs or unequal pay?

This article draws on new data to consider whether women would benefit most from upgrading the skill levels of their jobs or from achieving equal pay for work of equal value. It looks in detail at skill, gender, and whether work is full-time or part-time, concluding that reassessment of the value of women's jobs would be of greater immediate financial benefit to women than upgrading the skill level of their jobs unless this upgrading gave them access to men's jobs at men's pay and benefit rates.     

民办医学高校兼职教师的选择研究

目的:分析在各个属性评价信息不能完全确知的情况下,民办医学高校管理者科学的选择兼职教师。方法:考虑到决策者本身存在一定主观偏好的现象,作为被选择的兼职教师本身,也受到原单位工作性质和工作环境不确定性的限制,不能给出确定的属性值。采用不确定多属性决策模型进行分析研究,并引进多目标决策的交互式决策思想。结果:结合决策者的主观偏好对所确定的决策方案集进行缩减,最终求得满意解。文章最后给出了具体算例。     

A field experiment to study sex and age discrimination in the Madrid labour market

This article presents the findings of a field experiment carried out in Madrid which aims to analyse gender and age discrimination in hiring in the labour market of Madrid. A set of five pairs of fictitious man–woman curricula was sent in response to 1062 job offers in six occupations which were advertised on Internet over an eight-month period. It was quantified subsequently the extent to which the different firms contacted more or less the candidates of different sex, age and marital status. No discrimination is detected against women in terms of access to job interviews; however, discriminatory conduct is seen regarding the phenomenon of occupational gender segregation, in the sense that there is a continuance among employers of stereotyped views on the greater suitability of women for certain tasks. No evidence is found to indicate firms showing relative discrimination against married women with children in the first phase of hiring process. And a clear evidence of discrimination is obtained on the basis of age: firms show a substantial fall in interest over interviewing 38-year-old candidates (compared to those aged 24 or 28). This would imply that the tendency to discriminate against older workers may be high, and, what is more, it may start at a surprisingly young age.     

Occupational gender segregation Trends and explanations

This article examines recent research on occupational segregation by gender. It reviews and evaluates statistical approaches to measuring the extent to which women are disproportionately represented in “women’s jobs” and men in “men’s jobs.” By combining the findings of a number of studies, it traces the changes in the extent in occupational segregation from the end of the nineteenth century until 1995, and the forms and extent of gender segregation in occupations cross-nationally. In addition to the trends, this article considers the consequences of segregation to women. Finally, current explanations for occupational segregation are analyzed and assessed by considering the empirical data on occupational segregation.     

Part-time work in the public health service of Denmark,France and the UK

The aim of this paper is to consider the extent to which and the ways in which part-time work is used in the health services of Denmark, France and the UK. The reasons for and the implications of introducing part-time work in the three EU countries are also analysed and compared. Data were collected using questionnaires and interviews from hospitals in Denmark, France and the UK. Questionnaires were completed by heads of department and by part-time employees. Interviews (for the UK sample only) were held with the managers responsible for the introduction of flexible working practices. The findings show that part-time employment is the most common flexible working practice in the health services of all three countries but that the purpose of its introduction differs from one country to another. Part-time work seemed to have satisfied the desire of those who run the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK for cost reduction and for flexibility of working practices. In the French health service it was aimed at creating jobs, whereas in Denmark it was a response to increasing employee demand for flexible working. It was also found that, contrary to the Danish case with its established tradition of flexible working and equality in employment, the full-time working traditions and the male-dominated cultures of the health services in France and in the UK have often undermined the importance and benefits of part-time employment.     

Analyzing female labor supply — Evidence from a Dutch tax reform

Among OECD countries, the Netherlands has an average female labor force participation, but by far the highest rate of part-time work. This paper investigates the extent to which married women respond to financial incentives. We exploit exogenous variation caused by a substantial Dutch tax reform in 2001. Our main conclusion is that the positive significant effect of the tax reform on labor force participation dominates the negative insignificant effect on working hours. The latter contradicts the common empirical finding of positive wage elasticities. Our preferred explanation is that women respond more to changes in tax allowances than to changes in marginal tax rates.     

分层分类的高职院校兼职教师队伍建设研究

本文在分析高职院校兼职师资力量现状的基础上,结合战略性人力资源管理关于异质化人力资源管理的四象限原理,提出开展人力资源管理规划,完善师资队伍战略配置,完善基于双层双元原则的培训开发体系,建立以战略为导向的绩效评价机制,建立战略性兼职教师人才激励机制等对策,并进一步提出完善分层分类的战略性高职院校兼职教师队伍建设对策。     

高职高专院校兼职档案员队伍建设现状及对策研究——以安徽地区高职高专院校为例

在安徽省旨在建立职教大省的背景下,高职高专院校得到蓬勃发展。档案工作是高职高专院校的重要基础工作之一,而兼职档案员是高校档案队伍中一支不可缺少的力量,是做好档案工作的重要保证。然而,高职高专院校兼职档案员的特点与工作环境和本科院校有着很大的区别,如何在高职高专院校建设一支高素质的兼职档案员队伍值得探究。本文通过问卷调查了解高职高专院校兼职档案员现状,详细分析数据统计结果,探讨促进高职高专院校兼职档案员队伍建设的方法。     

浅析高职院校兼职教师队伍建设与管理——以宁波职业技术学院为例

近几年兼职教师数量在高职院校中的比例直线上升,在缩小高职教育与社会、理论与实践的教学中发挥了举足轻重的作用,但在教学实践中兼职教师队伍建议与管理还存在一些问题,影响了教学效果,因此加强兼职教师队伍的建设与管理是进一步提高高职院校教学质量的重要途径。     

Transition from part-time entrepreneurship to full-time entrepreneurship: the role of financial and non-financial motives

Part-time entrepreneurship is often a first step towards full-time entrepreneurship. This study analyzes how financial and non-financial motives of part-time entrepreneurs influence the propensity of part-time entrepreneurs to become full-time entrepreneurs. Our results show that the motivation to supplement wage income or the motivation to achieve social recognition is negatively associated with transition behavior, whereas the motivation to achieve independence or self-realization is positively associated with transition behavior. The motivation to follow a role model, financial success, and innovation are not significantly related to transition behavior. The implications of these results with regard to part-time entrepreneurship are discussed.