New Rules for a New Economy: Employment and Opportunity in Post-Industrial America (Twentieth Century Fund Book) - Hardcover

Herzenberg, Stephen A.; Alic, John A.; Wial, Howard

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801435242 ISBN 13: 9780801435249

Publisher: ILR Press, 1998

Synopsis

Three quarters of the American workforce is now employed in services, a substantial portion in low-paying, dead-end jobs. Can the service economy do as well by the American worker as the old manufacturing economy? Can the widely shared prosperity that accompanied steady increases in productivity and performance in manufacturing be replicated in the services? They can and they will, the authors of this timely book contend, but only if outmoded policies and practices are brought into line with the new economy. New Rules for a New Economy explains why this must be accomplished and how we can start.

The authors call for new, decentralized institutions suited to a dynamic economy in which change is constant and rapid. In particular, they see a need for job ladders and worker associations that cut across firm boundaries. These institutions would foster individual and collective learning, mark out career paths, and facilitate coordination among both individuals and organizations in a networked economy. The authors propose new rules to reshape labor market institutions and policy, improving economic performance and opportunities for workers.

Unusual in providing a comprehensive theoretical perspective that is grounded in detailed case research, this book points the way to a better future, not just for elite knowledge workers but for everyone.

About this title

About the Author

Stephen A. Herzenberg and Howard Wial are with the Keystone Research Center in Harrisburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. John A. Alic is a consultant in Washington, D.C., and an adjunct faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies.

From the Back Cover

The authors call for new, decentralized institutions suited to a dynamic economy in which change is constant and rapid. In particular, they see a need for job ladders and worker associations that cut across firm boundaries. These institutions would foster individual and collective learning, mark out career paths, and facilitate coordination among both individuals and organizations in a networked economy. The authors propose new rules to reshape labor market institutions and policy, improving economic performance and opportunities for workers. Unusual in providing a comprehensive theoretical perspective that is grounded in detailed case research, this book points the way to a better future, not just for elite knowledge workers but for everyone.

Reviews

Written by economic consultants, this book is a treatise on the changing demographics of the American workforce and how corporations should work to alter job patterns in order to adapt to evolving employment trends. The authors first cite statistics to show the lack of growth in pay, benefits and positions for the lowest-skilled workers. Despite the technological and economic growth since WWII, the majority of manufacturing jobs remain low paying and provide few prospects for future growth. According to the authors, there is little chance that the level of service provided by these workers will improve without changes in these jobs. Among the strategies the authors advise: raising the minimum wage and expanding training programs across different companies. Although the sections on the evolution of the workplace since WWII are quite interesting, this book will appeal primarily to employment specialists and human resource professionals.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: ILR Press
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0801435242
• ISBN 13: 9780801435249
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 240