Quality Work and the Moral Economy of European Employment Policy

Citation

Bolton SC, Laaser K & McGuire D (2016) Quality Work and the Moral Economy of European Employment Policy. Journal of Common Market Studies, 54 (3), pp. 583-598. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcms.12304

Abstract
Following a decade of radical economic and workplace restructuring, it is important to understand how state employment policies support or deny human flourishing. This article utilizes a realist document analysis approach and reviews European employment policy through a moral economy lens. It fuses different moral economy approaches, drawing together the work of Karl Polanyi and Andrew Sayer a multi-layered conceptual lens is offered that explores the tensions between a commodification of labour and human needs. A dominant market ideology is revealed, highlighting how quality work has been subsumed by the flexicurity agenda in the EU

Keywords
Flexicurity; Quality work; Moral Economy; European employment policy; Dignity; Employment

Journal
Journal of Common Market Studies: Volume 54, Issue 3

People

Professor Sharon Bolton

Emeritus Professor, Management, Work and Organisation

Dr Knut Laaser

Lecturer, Management, Work and Organisation