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Professor Jo Mcbride's Outputs (19)

Precarious work and employment (2024)
Book Chapter
McBride, J., & Smith, A. (2024). Precarious work and employment. In A Research Agenda for Work and Employment. Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781803929972.00017

The increasing polarisation of the UK labour market means that work for many is marked by low-pay, irregular and variable working hours, with limited employment protections. This chapter contextualises contemporary precarious work and explores some o... Read More about Precarious work and employment.

Labour process theory (2024)
Book Chapter
Smith, A., & McBride, J. (2024). Labour process theory. In A Guide to Key Theories for Human Resource Management Research (133-138). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035308767.ch16

The Labour Process Theory (LPT) entry includes sections that define the theory, explore developments in the theory, demonstrate specific application of the theory to HRM, and provide suggested topic areas for future research. There is a rich and expa... Read More about Labour process theory.

Gendering ‘The Hidden Injuries of Class’ and In-Work Poverty in Britain (2023)
Journal Article
Spellman, C., & McBride, J. (2023). Gendering ‘The Hidden Injuries of Class’ and In-Work Poverty in Britain. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2023(1), https://doi.org/10.5465/amproc.2023.290bp

This paper argues for the need to reconsider the usefulness of the concept of ‘The Hidden Injuries of Class’ established in Sennett and Cobb’s (1972) classic study. Here, we develop its use, complemented by feminist theory, to encapsulate the nuanced... Read More about Gendering ‘The Hidden Injuries of Class’ and In-Work Poverty in Britain.

‘It was doing my head in’: Low-paid multiple employment and zero hours work (2022)
Journal Article
Smith, A., & McBride, J. (2023). ‘It was doing my head in’: Low-paid multiple employment and zero hours work. British Journal of Industrial Relations, 61(1), 3-23. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjir.12689

This article explores the lived experiences and working time complexities of low-paid workers in legitimate multiple employment and zero hours work. Based on detailed qualitative research, these workers have 2, 3, 4, 5 and even 7 different jobs out o... Read More about ‘It was doing my head in’: Low-paid multiple employment and zero hours work.

‘I feel like I’m in poverty. I don’t do much outside of work other than survive’: In-work poverty and multiple employment in the UK (2021)
Journal Article
McBride, J., & Smith, A. (2022). ‘I feel like I’m in poverty. I don’t do much outside of work other than survive’: In-work poverty and multiple employment in the UK. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 43(3), 1440-1466. https://doi.org/10.1177/2f0143831x211016054

This paper argues for the need to reconsider the changing nature of in-work poverty (IWP). In doing so, we present evidence not included in current debates or statistics, of people working in more than one job, yet still experiencing IWP. Using the d... Read More about ‘I feel like I’m in poverty. I don’t do much outside of work other than survive’: In-work poverty and multiple employment in the UK.

‘Working to live, not living to work’: Low-paid multiple employment and work-life articulation (2020)
Journal Article
Smith, A., & McBride, J. (2020). ‘Working to live, not living to work’: Low-paid multiple employment and work-life articulation. Work, Employment and Society, 35(2), 256-276. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017020942645

This article critically examines how low-paid workers, who need to work in more than one legitimate job to make ends meet, attempt to reconcile work and life. The concept of work–life articulation is utilised to investigate the experiences, strategie... Read More about ‘Working to live, not living to work’: Low-paid multiple employment and work-life articulation.

Beyond Work Intensification: the contradictions and ironies of the changing nature of ‘unskilled’ work in a context of austerity and organisational change (2019)
Journal Article
McBride, J., & Martinez Lucio, M. (2019). Beyond Work Intensification: the contradictions and ironies of the changing nature of ‘unskilled’ work in a context of austerity and organisational change. Capital & Class, 45(1), 145-164. https://doi.org/10.1177/0309816820924413

This paper argues, through a study of cleaning workers, a need to reconsider the changing nature of unskilled work. In particular, how it has, ironically, become more complex and challenging in some cases due to economic and political developments. F... Read More about Beyond Work Intensification: the contradictions and ironies of the changing nature of ‘unskilled’ work in a context of austerity and organisational change.

Accessing ‘Hard to Reach Groups’ and Emotions in the Research Process: ‘Work an Honest Day and Get the Usual Raw Deal’ (2019)
Book Chapter
Smith, A., & McBride, J. (2019). Accessing ‘Hard to Reach Groups’ and Emotions in the Research Process: ‘Work an Honest Day and Get the Usual Raw Deal’. In D. Wheatley (Ed.), Handbook of research methods on the quality of working lives (95-108). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781788118774.00013

This chapter is based on detailed qualitative research into the working lives of low-paid workers in multiple employment. We discuss the research design and practicalities of researching a ‘hard to reach group’ of workers. The emotive and sensitive i... Read More about Accessing ‘Hard to Reach Groups’ and Emotions in the Research Process: ‘Work an Honest Day and Get the Usual Raw Deal’.

‘You End Up with Nothing’: The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK (2017)
Journal Article
McBride, J., Smith, A., & Mbala, M. (2018). ‘You End Up with Nothing’: The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK. Work, Employment and Society, 32(1), 210-218. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017017728614

Set in the context of the recent unprecedented upsurge of in-work poverty (IWP) in the UK – which currently exceeds out of work poverty – this article presents an account of the realities of experiencing poverty and being employed. Central issues of... Read More about ‘You End Up with Nothing’: The Experience of Being a Statistic of ‘In-Work Poverty’ in the UK.

Disaggregating and reaggregating work: Workers, management and the struggle over creating coherency and purpose in a context of work degradation (2016)
Journal Article
McBride, J., & Martínez Lucio, M. (2016). Disaggregating and reaggregating work: Workers, management and the struggle over creating coherency and purpose in a context of work degradation. Human Resource Management Journal, 26(4), 490-504. https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12118

The article argues that whilst there is a growing sense of degradation and worsening conditions (disaggregation) of work in the cleaning sector in general, there are some important contradictions which require complex organisational responses. In the... Read More about Disaggregating and reaggregating work: Workers, management and the struggle over creating coherency and purpose in a context of work degradation.

Green shoots from the grass roots? The National Shop Stewards Network (2014)
Journal Article
McBride, J., & Stirling, J. (2014). Green shoots from the grass roots? The National Shop Stewards Network. New Technology, Work and Employment, 29(1), 25-39. https://doi.org/10.1111/ntwe.12024

This paper presents an analysis of the significance of the Internet in rebuilding a shop stewards movement in a time of circumscribed trade union organisation and power. It takes the National Shop Stewards Network as the focus for empirical research... Read More about Green shoots from the grass roots? The National Shop Stewards Network.

‘Because we were living it’: the hidden work of a strike. (2013)
Journal Article
McBride, J., Stirling, J., & Winter, S. (2013). ‘Because we were living it’: the hidden work of a strike. Work, Employment and Society, 27(2), 244-253. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017012460308

This article presents an individual’s experience of a strike lasting one year and nine months. It brings to readers’ attention the unrecognized work that is involved in maintaining a strike – the continuous organization of ‘working’ the strike, ongoi... Read More about ‘Because we were living it’: the hidden work of a strike..

Trade Union learning strategies and immigrant workers: Policies and practice in a neo-liberal environment (2012)
Journal Article
Perrett, R., Martínez Lucio, M., McBride, J., & Craig, S. (2012). Trade Union learning strategies and immigrant workers: Policies and practice in a neo-liberal environment. Urban Studies, 49(3), 649-667. https://doi.org/10.1177/0042098011431618

This paper examines trade union networking and community-oriented activity through the recent development of learning strategies in relation to migrant workers. The paper locates the discussion on learning in relation to union attempts to develop a b... Read More about Trade Union learning strategies and immigrant workers: Policies and practice in a neo-liberal environment.

Dimensions of Collectivism: Occupation, community, and the increasing role of memory and personal dynamics in the debate (2011)
Journal Article
McBride, J., & Martínez Lucio, M. (2011). Dimensions of Collectivism: Occupation, community, and the increasing role of memory and personal dynamics in the debate. Work, Employment and Society, 25(4), 794-805. https://doi.org/10.1177/0950017011419706

This essay argues that the notion of there being a decline in collectivism does not adequately engage with a whole new set of initiatives within labour process theory on collectivism in its various forms. These debates demonstrate how diverse social... Read More about Dimensions of Collectivism: Occupation, community, and the increasing role of memory and personal dynamics in the debate.

Can sectionalism be good for solidarity? Some evidence from the maritime construction industry on Tyneside (2011)
Journal Article
McBride, J. (2011). Can sectionalism be good for solidarity? Some evidence from the maritime construction industry on Tyneside. Economic and Industrial Democracy, 32(2), 285-306. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143831x10377807

Sectionalism has historically been viewed as negative in that it isolates workers from a shared sense of a collective identity thereby weakening solidarity. This paper considers the alternative argument that sectionalism can be good for solidarity. I... Read More about Can sectionalism be good for solidarity? Some evidence from the maritime construction industry on Tyneside.

The limits of high performance work systems in unionised craft-based work settings (2008)
Journal Article
McBride, J. (2008). The limits of high performance work systems in unionised craft-based work settings. New Technology, Work and Employment, 23(3), 583-591. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-005x.2008.00214.x

This paper focuses on constraints on the effectiveness of high performance work techniques deriving from the traditions of craft‐based trade unionism and long‐established structures and cultures within sector‐based employment relationships. The findi... Read More about The limits of high performance work systems in unionised craft-based work settings.