Industrielle Einfacharbeit: Kern eines sektoralen Produktions- und Arbeitssystems/Sectoral Systems of Production and Work - The Case of Low-skilled Industrial Work

• Published in: Industrielle Beziehungen Vol. 19; no. 2; p. 187
• Main Authors: Hirsch-Kreinsen, Hartmut, Ittermann, Peter, Abel, Jörg
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Leverkusen Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH und Co KG 01.04.2012
• Subjects: Blue collar workers; Comparative analysis; Industrial plants; Labor market; Skill development; Social impact; Germany
• ISSN: 0943-2779

The empirical starting point of this contribution is an employment segment that is referred to as "low-skilled industrial work". Conceptually, this contribution relates to the recent discussion in the field of comparative political economy emphasizing the diversity within varieties of capitalism. It focuses on the German production model which has been regarded as a system dominated by a highly innovative and skill-based system. By comparison, it is argued that low-skilled industrial work is a central element of a sectoral system of production and work which represents a hitherto overlooked specific "subsystem" of the German national production system. The methodological basis of this contribution is a secondary analysis of data from labour market and social research as well as findings from company case studies. [PUB ABSTRACT]