John R. Commons and Government as Employer of Last Resort: Three Paths to a Progressive Right to Work

Abstract:

Today in the United States, a number of congressional Democrats endorse proposals that would establish a job guarantee for all Americans seeking work. Arguments for such a policy can be traced back at least to the work of John R. Commons, one of the first institutional economists. This article demonstrates that there are actually three arguments in Commons’s scholarship that provide a case for government to hire the unemployed by serving as employer of last resort. These arguments, each highlighted at a different point in Commons’s career, can be viewed in turn as legal, financial, and historical paths to public provision of work for the jobless—government employment that Commons considered part of “the right to work.” The article traces each path, highlighting insight that remains relevant and calling for greater attention to Common’s writings as a way to reclaim the right to work as a progressive cause.     

Are there major differences in the attitudes and service quality of standard and seasonal employees? An empirical examination and implications for practice

Despite the increased use of seasonal employees by organizations, few studies have been completed on the attitudes and service quality of seasonal office workers. Using Lautsch's classification model, we analyzed the organizational context in which the standard and seasonal workers in this study were employed. Hypotheses were developed based upon the organizational analysis and social exchange theory. Results from archival data obtained from a web‐based organizational survey of 205 clerical and professional workers indicated contrary to expectations, standard and seasonal employees did not significantly differ in terms of perceptions of overall job conditions, perceived organizational support (POS), or job engagement. However, seasonal employees did report significantly fewer opportunities to work on challenging tasks, less comfortable physical working conditions, and less job security than the standard workers. As predicted, standard employees reported significantly higher levels of service quality performance than seasonal employees. Additionally, job engagement mediated the relationship between POS and service quality for both the standard and seasonal employees. Implications for managing seasonal employees are discussed.     

事业单位工资改革与岗位绩效工资制的实施

事业单位工资制度历经多次变革,改革的目标是建立岗位绩效工资制度。搭建现代人力资源管理平台、推进岗位聘任、实施绩效管理是实施岗位绩效工资制度的关键。     

工作家庭冲突对饭店女性员工顾客导向影响实证分析

工作家庭冲突对员工工作和家庭行为都具有显著的影响。针对高星级饭店女性员工的实证调查表明,家庭对工作的干扰和工作对家庭的干扰都会导致员工出现情绪衰竭和情感疏远的倾向,进而削弱员工的顾客导向。因此,饭店管理者需要从设计弹性管理策略和系统构建家庭支持方案入手,缓和员工工作和家庭之间的冲突,目的在于同时提升员工的工作绩效和主观幸福感。     

浅谈如何做好基层建设工作

始终坚持把基层党务工作的重点,放在以科研生产为核心的职工队伍建设上。为此,党组织要管好党员,发挥党组织的先锋模范作用,要宣传好群众,发挥好职工群众的积极性,调动所有人的工作热情,围绕石油企业的生产目标展开工作。