The strategic use of contingent workers in Hong Kong’s economic upheaval

Document Type

Journal article

Source Publication

Human Resource Management Journal

Publication Date

11-1-2001

Volume

11

Issue

4

First Page

22

Last Page

37

Abstract

This research examines strategy in the use and purposes of contingent employment in four retail firms under different economic conditions in Hong Kong. Data from in-depth qualitative case studies found that the four firms - three Japanese and one British - had different organisational responses to the economic conditions caused by the increase of sales before the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and the shrinkage of sales afterwards. One such response concerned the companies’ employment policies, especially in their use of contingent workers. Some tended to have an ad hoc opportunistic approach to the use of contingent workers, while others were more strategic and incorporate long-term planning in their labour utilisation strategy. Implications are drawn relating to companies’ use of contingent employment to changes in the contextual environment regarding their long-term development.

DOI

10.1111/j.1748-8583.2001.tb00049.x

Print ISSN

09545395

Publisher Statement

Copyright © 2017 Wiley. All rights reserved. Access to external full text or publisher's version may require subscription.

Full-text Version

Publisher’s Version

Language

English

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