Sierdjan Koster and Claudia Brunori
Ongoing automation processes may render a fair share of the existing jobs redundant or change their nature. This begs the question to what extent employees affected invest in…
Abstract
Purpose
Ongoing automation processes may render a fair share of the existing jobs redundant or change their nature. This begs the question to what extent employees affected invest in training in order to strengthen their labour market position in times of uncertainty. Given the different national labour market regimes and institutions, there may be an important geographical dimension to the opportunities to cope with the challenges set by automation. The purpose of this study is to address both issues.
Design/methodology/approach
Using data from the 2016 European labour Force Survey, the authors estimate with logit and multi-level regression analyses how the automation risk of a worker's job is associated with the propensity of following non-formal education/training. The authors allow this relationship to vary across European countries.
Findings
The results show that employees in jobs vulnerable to automation invest relatively little in training. Also, there are significant differences across Europe in both the provision of training in general and the effect of automation on training provision.
Originality/value
While there is quite a lot of research on the structural labour market effects of automation, relatively little is known about the actions that employees take to deal with the uncertainty they are faced with. This article aims to contribute to our understanding of such mechanisms underlying the structural macro-level labour-market dynamics.
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Keywords
Antonia Z. Hein, Wim J.L. Elving, Sierdjan Koster and Arjen Edzes
Employer branding (EB) has become a powerful tool for organizations to attract employees. Recruitment communication ideally reveals the image that companies want to portray to…
Abstract
Purpose
Employer branding (EB) has become a powerful tool for organizations to attract employees. Recruitment communication ideally reveals the image that companies want to portray to potential employees to attract talents with the right skills and competences for the organization. This study explores the impact of EB on employer attractiveness by testing how pre-existing employee preferences interact with EB and how this interaction affects employer attractiveness.
Design/methodology/approach
A quasi-experiment among 289 final-year students was used to test the relationships between EB, perceived employer image, person-organization (P-O) fit and employer attractiveness, and the potential moderating variables of pre-existing preferences, in this case operationalized as locational preferences. Students are randomly assigned to four vacancies: one with and one without EB cues in two different locations: Groningen and Amsterdam. The authors used standard scales for attractiveness, perceptions of an employer and person-organization fit. The authors test the relationships using a regression analysis.
Findings
Results suggest that if respondents have previous predispositions, then their preference can be enhanced using an EB-targeted strategy. Based on these results, the authors can conclude that EB and related practices can be successful avenues for organizations in the war for talent, particularly if they reaffirm previous preferences of potential employees.
Originality/value
The research is original in the way it provides empirical evidence on the relationship between EB and attractiveness, particularly when previous employee preferences exist. This is of value to employers using EB as a tool to influence employer attractiveness.
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Marianna Markantoni, Dirk Strijker and Sierdjan Koster
The purpose of this article is to examine growth expectations and factors influencing growth of side activities in rural areas.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this article is to examine growth expectations and factors influencing growth of side activities in rural areas.
Design/methodology/approach
Data were collected in the rural areas of 36 Dutch municipalities by means of a detailed survey. This resulted in 260 response cases. The analysis consists of a descriptive account of respondents' intentions to expand a side activity and a logistic regression explaining growth expectations of these activities.
Findings
The main conclusion is that although growth is not expected in a large number of side activities, there is a group of owners who clearly aspire to expand the scale of their activities. Their personal aspirations and aspirations for economic well‐being are the most common motivations. These characteristics also have a bearing on the future growth of side activities and consequently their impact on rural development.
Research limitations/implications
Since this article examines growth expectations and not actual growth, the findings cannot be interpreted directly in terms of economic impact on rural development.
Originality/value
Scholars and policy makers have paid little attention to side activities in rural areas and specifically to their growth potential. This article enhances our understanding of the growth expectations of those who carry out side activities and shows the potential of such activities in diversifying and revitalizing rural areas.