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List of contents
List of Tables
Acknowledgements
1. "Trading in Human Beings on Behalf of Cost Reduction:" An Introduction to in-House Outsourcing (inO) and Why Companies Outsource
2. "Betrayed, Sold, and Rebadged" to Outsourcing Companies
3. "Chewed Up:" The Adversarial Nature of Work Relationships in Markets
4. "It All Revolved Around Numbers:" Greater Commodification of the Work and Culture With Outsourcing
5. "(Only) Better For Some:" Consent, Resistance, and Professional Careers with Outsourcing Companies
6. Conclusion
Index
About the author
Jacqueline M. Zalewski is Associate Professor of Sociology at West Chester University of Pennsylvania, USA.
Summary
This book offers a sociological account of the process by which companies institute outsourcing in their organization. Drawing on qualitative data, it examines the ways in which internal outsourcing in the IT and HR professions negatively affects workers, their work conditions, and working relationships.
Additional text
"Dr. Zalewski’s work establishes the foundation for future studies of in-house outsourcing. It opens a new agenda of research for those in the business disciplines, such as human resource management and organizational behavior, to re-examine and extend their models and analyses. It is a stimulating and thought-provoking body of work destined to stand the test of time." Susan Brudvig, Associate Professor of Business Administration, Indiana University East, USA.
"Zalewski deals with a major yet unexamined aspect of the ‘gig economy’—the ‘in-house outsourcing’ of professional jobs, in which work continues at the same location with a different employer, work regime, and badge. Based on intelligence gathered from affected IT and HR professionals, the study also benefits from the frank testimony of insiders who decide on and manage the change, and calculate the ‘cost reductions.’
Working Lives combines scientific rigor with a sense of the emotional presence of its subjects, conveyed through stories of betrayal, loss of meaning, and shrinking material rewards. It effectively counters the claims that outsourcing benefits professional workers with greater career opportunities and more personal freedom. This is a crucial study for anyone concerned about the future of middle class jobs."
George Gonos, Professor Emeritus, State University of New York at Potsdam, USA.
"Zalewski adds IT and HR professionals to the list of employees facing job loss, de-skilling, and contingency in their fields. The key contributions from this study highlight the ways in-house outsourcing forces professionals to do more emotional and political work as they navigate new relationships with former colleagues and employers."
Naomi R. Williams, Perspectives on Work, Labor and Employment Relations Association.
