The last five decades have witnessed an increasing interest in the education-employment transition. In China, millions of university students graduate each year. Their employment has important impact on various aspects of the Chinese society. Additionally, university-work transition is related to the well-being of university graduates and their families. Therefore the university-work transition in China deserves more attention from scholars and practitioners. This thesis examines the determination of Chinese university graduates’ first job salaries. It investigates whether and how university graduates’ family background, on-campus performance (OCP) and gender are linked with their first job salaries. The thesis distinguishes three dimensions of graduates’ family background: Hukou status, parental CCP membership and income. It distinguishes three dimensions of graduates’ OCP: academic achievements, professional capability and political/ideological attainment. Information collected through interviews is used to interpret the statistical results. The results show that graduates’ first job salaries are significantly affected by their professional skills, political/ideological attainments and family income. Graduates’ gender, academic performance and family Hukou status have little impact on their first job salaries. Compared with the widely observed wage disparities among less educated workers caused by gender and Hukou status, this thesis provides evidence that higher education helps reduce the gender wage gap and rural-urban disparity in China. Analyses in the thesis are consistent with ‘state as equalizer’ and ‘market as equalizer’ theories. This thesis provides little evidence to support the marketized transition theory, as we find graduates’ first job salaries are still largely affected by their political/ideological attainments in university. Considering the unique context, the results suggest that some widely used human capital indicators and productivity signals are not applicable in the Chinese labour market. Practical implications are derived from the thesis.

Emotional labour was conceptualised by Hochschild in 1983 as a form of oppression on the service worker devised by a capitalist society; where not only were workers’ physical actions managed, but their emotions as well. Research in the area developed this concept identifying the many occupational fields in which emotional labour exists, forming models of its effects, and examining ways in which workers try to resist the emotional strain. Taking a social constructionist approach, 44 service workers and 44 customers/emotional labour recipients were interviewed using the Critical Incident Technique to gain insight into their views of performing and receiving emotional labour, and what they believed enhanced or detracted from it. The results were divided into those discussing “professional” emotional labour jobs (eg. teaching) - where the emotional labourer needs to attain a professional status; and “occupational” (eg. sales assistants) – where the emotional labourer does not need a professional qualification. It was found that 1) there were differences between the expectations, motivations and coping mechanisms displayed by professional and occupational emotional labourers; as well as in the expectations of the customer/recipient within a professional service and an occupational one; 2) that many recipients do not necessarily want to be treated as “sovereign” (ie. “king”) and judge an emotional labour interaction more positively when their individual needs are acknowledged; 3) while display rules and targets were still a notable constraint on the labourer, nevertheless “occupational” emotional labourers (sometimes in collusion with their managers) found ways of resisting further strain from recipients through over-politeness, ironically in accordance with display rules which exposed recipient rudeness; 4) professional emotional labourers, however, found the display rules and targets a hindrance. This managerial misunderstanding or poor appreciation of “professional” emotional labour caused resentment among them; 5) unique and spontaneous kindness was evident in many emotional labour interactions with managers, colleagues and most commonly recipients. Moreover, this was acknowledged by giver and receiver as the most satisfying and memorable part of emotional labour – and something unique to emotional labour itself. The recommendations of this thesis are therefore: i) that emotional labour should be differentiated within services in order for more focussed findings and recommendations to be generated and applied ii) that emotional labour be analysed as interactive process where emotional labourer, recipient and their organisational management contribute to a high level of enjoyment within the job. That is, it is not necessary to view emotional labour as the oppressive and intrusive management of personality by a capitalist organisation iii) recognition be given to the importance of kindness within the emotional labour interaction, as it can be both a source of pleasure, and also pain, for the compassionate labourer. This has important implications for the selection, training and providing emotional support for workers.

From the oil boom in the 1970s up to present, Saudi Arabia, a leading oil producing country in the Middle East, has been encountering a serious shortage of skilled and qualified Saudi labour force, especially the private sector. Both the Saudisation policy and the current Ninth Five-Year Development Plan have addressed an urgent need to provide Saudi nationals with as many employment opportunities as possible to replace expatriate workers. To achieve this goal, the Saudi government has made great efforts to enhance the quality of education, as the key to a nation's future economic prosperity depends on the quality of its education and training. However, the current industrial education is still seriously blamed by private sector employers for failing to offer Saudi students of industrial education sufficient vocational skills training courses to obtain the kind of skills, knowledge, attitudes towards work at their request. In light of this serious vocational education issue, the purpose of this research was to investigate this skills gap between industrial education output and Saudi labour requirements in private manufacturing industries (excluding oil refining and petrochemicals), a sector that has been a major contributor to GDP growth since the late 1990s. A survey method was adopted to conduct this research by applying two research instruments: a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. The aim of this survey research is to explore the perceptions of the manufacturing skills training offered in Saudi industrial education from the perspectives of three groups of stakeholders: managers in private manufacturing industries, trainers of industrial education and trainees of industrial education. The survey results revealed that a skills gap exists between the labour demand for qualified Saudi manpower and the current industrial education output and that there were social, cultural and economic factors leading to such a gap. This gap is the result of three factors-work ethics, specialised knowledge and generic skills, which play a key role in private manufacturing employers’ decisions to employ Saudi workers. In order to solve this educational problem, based on the comments by the three groups of stakeholders, this research suggests a model, namely, knowledge-based industrial education, to modify the current industrial education curriculum in order that the output of Saudi industrial education may be improved to fill this skills gap in the future.

The Nazis' deployment of foreigners (Ausländereinsatz) between 1939 and 1945 established one of the largest forced labour programs since the abolition of slavery during the nineteenth century. Foreign civilians from across Europe were deployed in Germany's war economy. Between 350,000 and 400,000 Belgian civilians were deployed in Germany during the Second World War- roughly half of these workers went to Germany voluntarily, but under a degree of pressure due to the Military Administration's economic policies in occupied Belgium. This thesis examines the implementation of the Nazi forced labour program through the analysis of the lives of Belgians who worked in Germany in the period 1940-1945 and by using a variety of original sources, including the records of the German Military Administration in Belgium and German and Belgian labour officials and the accounts of those who lived and worked in Germany. This thesis proposes a social history of the Nazi foreign labour program with a strong focus on the history of everyday life, drawing extensively on records such as letters, diaries, photographs and personal accounts of Belgians who worked in Germany during the Second World War, as well as hospital, police and judicial records. The employment patterns and experiences of Belgians deployed in Germany are examined through detailed case studies of Berlin and Düsseldorf, industrialised cities where Belgians were deployed in significant numbers. The Nazi regime divided Belgium's population along linguistic lines: Belgians were officially subject to differentiated treatment based on whether they were Flemings or Walloons. Examining the treatment of Belgians by the Nazi regime and comparing Nazi racial policies and practice, this thesis emphasises the key role played by local authorities, employers and individual Germans in shaping the experiences of foreign workers. It is argued that an important distinction must be made in relation to the material advantages western European workers enjoyed due to their elevated position in the Nazi racial hierarchy and the benefits individual foreign workers were able to secure by virtue of their employment skills, linguistic skills and greater confidence. The experiences of Belgian workers are also compared and contrasted with those of other national groups and are related to the broader history of foreign labour in Nazi Germany. This study also examines the experiences of Belgian women. While Belgian women represented close to 15 percent of Belgians deployed in Germany, studies of Belgian labour in Germany have largely overlooked their experiences. Utilising the limited available sources, this thesis contributes to an understanding of women's experiences. By focussing on the social history of the Ausländereinsatz and the stories of individual Belgians, this thesis maps the varied experiences of Belgians in Germany during the Second World War, illustrating convergence and divergence from Nazi racial policy and the fundamental role ordinary Germans played. More importantly, however, this thesis shows that Belgian civilian workers were not just passive victims of the German occupation. The decision to go to Germany to work was a personal one for many Belgian volunteers, based on individual circumstances. In difficult economic times and with no end to the war in sight, Belgians sought to navigate the best course for themselves and their families. While conscripts were by definition not free, as western Europeans Belgians were afforded greater rights and legal protections, which ensured they had room for manoeuvre and were able to exercise a significant degree of control over their own destinies.

The European Parliament (EP) and the Council of Europe (CoE) are two internationally renowned organisations sharing a common goal of progressing human rights action and social cohesion within their respective member states. At the point of data collection (early 2007) both organisations were undergoing a period of significant change. Various Southern and Eastern European nations had been given their first opportunity to participate in the official European bodies thus increasing the member states of the EP to 25 and the CoE to 46. Access to the large secretariats of these organisations provided a unique opportunity to explore the organizational and individual implications of European Enlargement amongst employees from the widest possible range of European nations. With a firm grounding in the Diversity Management literature, this research also examines how the public discourse from official representatives of the EP and CoE on the topic of European Enlargement relates to individual and collective experiences within the organisation's own workforce. The impact of European Enlargement on day-to-day workplace experiences of employees within the secretariats was explored through two studies that were sequentially linked. The first study involved semi-structured interviews with key Human Resource personnel in each organisation (n = 20). The interview data was subjected to thematic analysis and the emergent themes were used to form the basis of the questions for the second study, which consisted of 22 focus groups (n = 88). Thematic analysis was again used to analyse the data, and a matrix analysis indicated that there were differences in experiences according to employees' gender, European region of origin and level within the organizational hierarchy. There were also differences between the two organizations. A third study involved the analysis of press articles on the topic of European Enlargement written by representatives of each organization; these were selected from the same time period as the interview and focus group data collection phases. The underlying assumptions and values about European Enlargement were explored through a critical discourse analysis of these texts. Discourses identified included: a) a discourse of power and subordination in which the position of the supranational organisations is assumed to be a part of the 'natural' order; b) a discourse of difference which betrays the assumption that 'west-is-best' and that inclusion is commensurate with dissolving rather than valuing difference and c) a discourse of paternalism in which the CoE and the EU are conceptualized as 'families', with Member States positioned as offspring who need to be kept under control by their authoritarian fathers, the institutional authorities. A comparison of the way in which the discourses identified were reflected in the organizational experiences related in studies 1 and 2 revealed that there was a high degree of overlap between the external discourse and internal experiences, though some notable differences were also identified. It is clear that the findings have major organizational and individual implications. Firstly, a division in women's equality agenda is indicated; whilst Western women press for more equality initiatives and Eastern women argue for fewer, the competing needs of these two groups are not going to be simultaneously met. Secondly, competition is created between men, with Eastern men aspiring to reach the envious position enjoyed by Western men. Furthermore, the backlash against gender equality initiatives, previously seen in the UK and other western nations in the 1980s, is given a new, Eastern European voice. It is also apparent that the content of an organizations publicly available discourse may well impact on employees' experiences within that organization. This leads to the conclusion that organizations have a responsibility to explore the assumptions and values that they are consciously and unconsciously promoting, not only for the benefit of the wider public but for the wellbeing of their own employees.

Orientador : Prof. Dr. Flávio de Oliveira Gonçalves / Co-orientador : Prof. Dr. Alexandre Alves Porsse / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciencias Sociais Aplicadas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento Ecônomico. Defesa : 31/03/2015 / Inclui referências : fls. 110-118 / Resumo: As relações produtivas estão sempre se alterando no mundo contemporâneo, seja através de mudanças tecnológicas, seja a partir de mudanças na demanda final. Nesse cenário, a alteração da alocação da mão de obra é uma constante. No Brasil, isso não é diferente, sendo essa variável macroeconômica, alvo de grandes discussões acadêmicas e políticas. Para analisar o comportamento empírico no período pós-Plano Real, este trabalho utiliza a Matriz Insumo Produto do Brasil dentre os anos de 1995 e 2009 estimadas pelo Nereus e também uma Matriz Interregional de Insumo Produto Mundial com a descrição da economia de 40 países (27 da União Europeia e 13 outras grandes economias) o estudo faz uso de metodologias de Insumo-Produto e uma complementar derivada da mesma base de dados criada por Pasinetti, para analisar o comportamento dessa variável ao longo do tempo. O objetivo deste trabalho é verificar através de métodos de decomposição e de mensuração de interdependências, como a mão de obra se comporta em um ambiente de alterações das relações interesetoriais. São analisados três problemas nesse estudo, o primeiro é uma visão pasinettiana do problema através da variação de coeficientes verticalmente integrados e as respectivas relações de produtividade totais, diretas e indiretas. O segundo discute a desindustrialização a partir do conceito clássico do qual a variável que deve ser analisada é a de emprego. O terceiro e último problema é das mudanças de relações de emprego em um mundo globalizado, a partir do referencial teórico de Cadeias Globais de Valor, com o complemento do conceito de complexidade econômica. Os resultados, cada um com seu enfoque, evidenciam que a mão de obra ociosa que existia no início do período foi inserida no mercado de trabalho, mas que isso não levou necessariamente a uma melhora da competitividade da economia brasileira em um cenário internacional. A principal causa de criação de empregos é a mudança interna, seguida pelas relações do Brasil com o mercado internacional. Existem indícios de que a economia brasileira está se tornando intensiva em mão de obra quando comparada aos outros países, sua demanda por mão de obra em relação aos outros países apresentam tendência de queda enquanto que a demanda por produtos brasileiros aumentam a necessidade de mão de obra. Palavras-chave: Mudança Estrutural, Emprego, Insumo-Produto, Pasinetti, Coeficientes Verticalmente Integrados, Desindustrialização, Cadeias Globais de Valor, Complexidade Econômica, Brasil. / Abstract: The productive relationships are always changing in the contemporary world, whether through technological changes, either from changes in final demand. In this scenario, the change of labor allocation is a constant. In Brazil, this is no different, and this macroeconomic variable, the subject of great academic and political discussions. To analyze the empirical behavior in the post-Real Plan period, this study uses the Input-Output Matrix of Brazil from the years 1995 and 2009 estimated by Nereus and also an Inter-regional World Input-Output Matrix with the description of the 40 countries economies (27 EU and 13 other major economies) the study uses methods of decomposition and multipliers in input-output and an additional derived from the same database created by Pasinetti, to analyze the behavior of this variable over time. The objective of this study is to verify through these methods as the manpower behaves in a change of environment intersetorials relations. Are analyzed in this study three problems, the first one is a pasinetti's view of the problem by varying vertically integrated coefficients and its total productivity, direct and indirect relations. The second discusses the deindustrialization from the classic concept that the variable that should be analyzed is that of employment. The third and final problem is the changes of employment relations in a globalized world, from the theoretical framework of Global Value Chains, with the addition of the concept of Economic Complexity. The results, each with its approach, shows that the works outside of the labor market at the beginning of the period is now in the job market, but it does not necessarily lead to an improvement of the competitiveness of the Brazilian economy in an international setting. The main cause of job creation is the internal change, followed by Brazil's relations with the international market. There are indications that the Brazilian economy is becoming intensive labor when compared to other countries, their demand for labor in relation to other countries show a downward trend while the demand for Brazilian products increase the need for labor . Keywords: Structural Change, Employment, Input-Output, Pasinetti, Vertically Integrated Coefficients, De-industrialization, Global Value Chains, Economic Complexity, Brazil.

Community cohesion in Britain has been an issue of policy concern in recent years in which the role of migrants in the UK has been scrutinised in terms of their sense of belonging, integration and their economic and social contribution to society. However, much of the existing literature, in this area relates to the experiences of low/unskilled labour migrants. This thesis redresses this imbalance and examines the experiences of overseas-trained South Asian doctors. It provides unique insights into the debates about integration, cultural identity and community cohesion based on an empirical study of overseas-trained South Asian General Practitioners who are elite migrants. A mixed method approach was employed that included secondary data analysis of the GP Workforce Statistics and in-depth interviews with 27 overseas-trained South Asian doctors in three different geographical locales in England with varying ethnic populations. The quantitative analysis shows that a significant and increasing proportion of NHS doctors continue to be overseas-trained South Asian doctors. It also provides evidence of geographical clustering with South Asian doctors being over represented in deprived areas with high and low ethnic minority concentrations. The case studies and interviews with the GPs reveal a complex intertwining of macro-, micro- and meso- structures in the migratory process, related, in part, to the legacy of empire and also to the inner workings and opportunities provided by an organisation such as the NHS. In order to overcome blocked social mobility within the NHS hospital structure, entry into General Practice appears to be an entrepreneurial step for overseas-trained South Asian doctors, also facilitated by regional NHS institutional structures like Primary Care Trusts. Evidence shows that doctors have integrated their cultural/religious values creatively in their adaptation to Britain importing innovation into their everyday experiences. The findings show that there are parallels to be drawn with the experiences of low/unskilled South Asians, in particular, in the area of structural integration. However, there is variation as to how these elite professionals approach issues related to socio-cultural integration thus adding a new dimension to our existing understanding of community cohesion in the UK.

Cette thèse a pour objectif de traiter la thématique de la gestion des émotions dans un contexte de changement technologique. Les organisations négligent encore cet aspect pourtant très important. Notre problématique concerne plus précisément l'intelligence émotionnelle. De nombreux chercheurs mettent en avant les solutions apportées par l’intelligence émotionnelle dans la gestion « humaine » des ressources humaines. Cependant, cette dernière, apporte-t-elle un véritable atout pour les managers dans le cadre des projets de changements technologiques et organisationnels, responsables de l’intégration et l’acceptation de ces transformations par les employés ? Cette thèse autorise de nombreux apports académiques et managériaux : une énumération des freins et surtout des leviers de la co-construction du changement, une modélisation de la courbe du changement assimilée à la courbe de deuil de Kübler-Ross (1969), une précision des aptitudes liées à l’aspect émotionnel des managers de premier rang pour mieux « driver » le changement technologique, à l’introduction de la notion du manager driver doué d’intelligence émotionnelle associant les aspects émotionnel et cognitif dans ses démarches de gestion des ressources humaines, en utilisant une méthodologie de recherche peu commune « l’ethnométhodologie ou l’observation participante clandestine » répandue en anthropologie et en sociologie. Cette méthode est très intéressante pour les sciences de gestion dans la mesure où elle présente une mine d’informations à essayer de comprendre et analyser. Elle permet, également, au chercheur de comprendre des mécanismes difficilement compréhensibles si l’on n’expérimente pas – au même titre que les sujets observés – les phénomènes étudiés / The main objective of this thesis is to address emotions management in the implementation of a new integrated management software package. The joint aspects cognition-emotion in the human resources management allows to channel emotions and negative causes of resistance. We lead a longitudinal study (3 years and 6 months) in a law firm of international affairs. At the end of this study, we find that the support associated with emotional intelligence decreases cognitive and emotional dissonance, promotes the co-construction of change, and participates in the acceptance and appropriation of change.

Varieties of Capitalism theory predicts that the skill specificity of workers determines their demand for social protection. In this thesis, I test this assumption using a measure of occupational mobility between pre- and post-unemployment, which I apply to European workers in different skill groups as defined by Fleckenstein et al., (2011). Using this measure as an indicator of the portability of workers' skills, I then evaluate whether the lower marketability of human capital investments is associated with greater demand for unemployment protection. The findings demonstrate that whilst this relationship is apparent in certain countries, notably Coordinated Market Economies such as Germany, the assumptions do not apply across institutional settings. Consequently, skill specificity cannot explain variation in attitudes towards unemployment protection policies between countries.