Flexibly Maintained Inequality in Workplace Flexibility: Absolute and Relative Shifts in Telework Under Covid-19

IF 1.2 4区 社会学 Q1 AREA STUDIES Social Science Japan Journal Pub Date : 2023-06-05 DOI:10.1093/ssjj/jyad004
S. Araki
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Abstract

Recent research argues that the availability of flexible work arrangements (FWA) is unequally distributed among workers. Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic has drastically transformed the way we work, including the abrupt introduction of telework. However, we know little about how workers are stratified in telework usage under the global crisis and how it differs from pre-pandemic times. This study leverages the nation-wide longitudinal survey data in Japan to investigate (a) who are more/less likely to be excluded from telework and (b) how the structure changes from 2019 to 2022, with close attention to both absolute and relative shifts. The analysis shows (a) the absolute amount of telework opportunities has increased in the wake of the pandemic; but (b) the relative inequality among workers has rather been intensified since 2020, with the probability of non-telework ranging from 0.6 to 0.9 across their socio-economic attributes and (c) labour stratification in telework use persists over time despite its fluctuating magnitude. One may call this social phenomenon ‘flexibly maintained inequality (FMI)’ in that relative inequalities remain via adjusting their absolute thresholds across worker segments. Examining the mechanism of FMI and its impact on individuals, organisations, and societies is crucial for future research and relevant policy/practice.
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灵活保持工作场所灵活性的不平等:新冠疫情下远程办公的绝对和相对转变
最近的研究表明,灵活工作安排(FWA)的可用性在员工之间分布不均。与此同时,2019冠状病毒病大流行彻底改变了我们的工作方式,包括突然引入远程办公。然而,我们对全球危机下员工在远程办公使用方面的分层情况以及与大流行前的情况有何不同知之甚少。本研究利用日本全国范围内的纵向调查数据,调查(a)哪些人更有可能/更不可能被排除在远程办公之外;(b)从2019年到2022年,这种结构如何变化,密切关注绝对和相对变化。分析显示:(a)在大流行病之后,远程工作机会的绝对数量有所增加;但是(b)自2020年以来,工人之间的相对不平等有所加剧,其社会经济属性的非远程工作概率在0.6至0.9之间;(c)远程工作使用中的劳动力分层尽管幅度波动,但随着时间的推移仍然存在。人们可以将这种社会现象称为“灵活维持的不平等(FMI)”,因为通过调整工人阶层之间的绝对阈值,相对不平等仍然存在。研究FMI的机制及其对个人、组织和社会的影响对未来的研究和相关政策/实践至关重要。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
1.80
自引率
0.00%
发文量
28
期刊介绍: Social Science Japan Journal is a new forum for original scholarly papers on modern Japan. It publishes papers that cover Japan in a comparative perspective and papers that focus on international issues that affect Japan. All social science disciplines (economics, law, political science, history, sociology, and anthropology) are represented. All papers are refereed. The journal includes a book review section with substantial reviews of books on Japanese society, written in both English and Japanese. The journal occasionally publishes reviews of the current state of social science research on Japanese society in different countries.
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