bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Perceptions of Farm Stressors Among New Zealand Farm Managers
Authors: Bin Ang (Andy) Haut
Published: April 2018

The New Zealand primary sector not only has one of the highest rates of job-related injuries and illness, but also the Accident Compensation Corporation has paid one o f the highest rate claims of more than NZ$22 million in 2004 and 2005 (ACC, 2006). There are a high number of cases among farmers and farm employees who are involved in fatalities, injuries and ill health where stress and fatigue are the major contributors. Stress-related illnesses, in particular attempted and successful suicides are now some of the major concerns and have attracted increased interest from academics abroad. The aim of the research is to examine the extent of occupational stress in farming. The survey was piloted and through extensive interviews and farm visits. The pilot study is part of a larger questionnaire survey of self-reported 1041 participants. The Edinburgh Farming Stress Inventory (Deary, Willock, & McGregor, 1997) and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) are utilized in the questionnaire survey. The preliminary analysis discloses the insignificant in the level of strain with non-farming population. Further, the demographic variables such as number of herds, marital status, age group, occupational status and size of the farm are found to he insignificant factors for contributing towards stressors-strains. However, there is significant score differences in the perceived stressors between men and women. The individual characteristic has shown to have greater importance in determining the psychiatric disturbance associated with stress. The contribution of this research is increased understanding of the causes and consequences of occupational stress in New Zealand farming industry. Further, the outcome will inform practices to identify areas where the industries can make improvements, be used in recruiting and selection programs and assist individuals in career planning
Seasonal Labour for Horticulture and Viticulture Industries: Use of Regional Surveys and Forecast in Allocation Decisions
Authors: SriRamaratnam Ram
Published: April 2018

Regional seasonal labour shortages have become a quite common occurrence in recent years, especially in the major Horticulture/Viticulture regions. The reliance on workers from overseas sources under various visa & permit conditions also assumed greater significance over the past few years given the low unemployment levels. Regional seasonal labour needs and the potential seasonal labour support had to be assessed during 2008 (and for seasons beyond) for the allocation of overseas workers including under the Recognised Seasonal Labour Employer (RSE) & its Traditional (TRSE) scheme based on forecast results incorporating the responses to the Regional Labour Surveys. The survey was referred to as the "Survey of Seasonal Labour Employers - Demand & Supply”. It was conducted by the local industry and for the Labour Governance Groups with assistance from the Department of Labour in survey design and in the analysis of the responses. All the major regions with significant horticulture and viticulture activities such as Hawkes Bay (covering pipfruit, wine, kiwifruit & a number vegetable crops), Bay o f Plenty (kiwifruit), Marlborough (wine), Nelson (pipfruit) and Wairarapa (wine) carried out the surveys after the 2006/07 season. It was intended to cover both demand-side and supply-side labour market information. Demand related information covered the number of full-time staff in relation to casual & seasonal workers, number of seasonal workers per supervisor, method hiring seasonal workers (directly or through contractors), work profile (ie, hours worked per day, days worked per week etc) and wages (piece and hourly rates) as well as the number of casual & seasonal workers used by seasonal months and by crops. The supply-side information covered the source of workers (domestic by sources and ovrerseas by types of visa), level of return of workers; especially labour turn-over, the level of training provided & impacts on productivity, accommodation facilities available or likely and the level anticipated participation in the RSE scheme. In this paper, some of the key results related to the level of seasonal labour requirements by major regions and the sources of labour supply are reported. The impact of labour practices on labour requirements and the nature of potential supply on implications for temporary migration policies are identified. The method by which a forecasting framework is used for allocation decisions is also outlined along with how survey information was used to refine and calibrate the Forecast Tool.
The Seasonal Labour Strategy and the Role of Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) in helping make Transformative changes for Employers and Industry
Authors: Whatman Richard , Van Beek Jerf
Published: April 2018

The Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) scheme is the most prominent part of a broader labour market strategy for the horticulture and viticulture industries. The purpose of the Horticulture and Viticulture Seasonal Labour Strategy (the Strategy) is to transform the seasonal labour market, which this decade has been characterised by very low productivity, high turnover, and illegal work practices. This labour market failure has cost industry and the government hundreds of millions of dollars, though the full cost will never he known. The Strategy, working off the fulcrum of RSE, has been very successful in its early stages of implementation. There are many problems, but the trajectory of change is highly promising. This paper explores the conception, theoretical underpinnings and implementation of a unique experiment in labour market transformation, evidence of that transformation, where available, is referenced.
Impacts of a New Seasonal Work Program on Rural Household Incomes in the Pacific
Authors: Gibson John , McKensie David
Published: April 2018

Seasonal work programs are increasingly advocated by international aid agencies as a way of enabling both developed and developing countries to benefit from migration. They are argued to provide workers with new skills and allow them to send remittances home, without the receiving country having to worry about long-term assimilation and the source country worrying about permanent loss of skills. However, formal evidence as to the development impact of seasonal worker programs is non-existent. This paper provides the first such evaluation, studying New Zealand's new Recognized Seasonal Employer (RSE) program which allows Pacific Island migrants to work in horticulture and viticulture in New Zealand for up to seven months per year. We use baseline and follow-up waves of surveys we are carrying out in Tonga To form difference-in-difference and propensity score matching estimates of short-term impacts on household income and consumption.
Moving for Employment Reasons
Authors: Morrison Philip S , Clark William A.V. , Nissen Kirsten , Didham Robert
Published: April 2018

While most models of population migration assume that members of the labour force migrate to enhance returns to their labour, major surveys in the USA (PSID and CPS), in the UK (BHPS) and Australia (HILDA) all show that only around 10 percent of all individuals who change residence are motivated primarily by employment reasons. Of those moving between local labour markets only about 30 percent say they are motivated by employment reasons. We explore this apparent paradox by drawing on evidence from the Dynamics of Motivation and Migration Survey (DMM), which recorded the reasons people of working age, changed their permanent residence in New Zealand over the two-year period 2005 and 2006. The need to solve the employment problem before moving means that reasons offered retrospectively for moving usually reflect a wish to adjust consumption even in the case of those moving between local labour markets. For most people of working age employment remains a necessary condition rather than sufficient reason for moving and this is why the pattern of net flows among local markets appear to support theories of migration change even though few people say they move for employment reasons.
The French Connection: A Multi-Lingual Literature Review of OHS in the Small Business Sector
Authors: Martin Christophe , Guarnieri Franck , Lin Jean
Published: April 2018

There is the growing recognition that Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) regulations and initiatives applied in the small business sector are frequently ineffectual. However, most of the discourse on OHS in the small business sector is ethnocentric with little or no insight into the relationship between the Anglo and French literature. This has meant that models of OHS intervention and prevention adopted by and/or adapted to the New Zealand small business sector are those that have been, by and large, written up in English. By excluding OHS intervention and prevention models or research on the basis that they are reported in a language other than English means that there is a potential of a myopic view on the subject. Moreover, given that workplaces are becoming more ethnically diverse, it is imperative that OHS models and research located in non-English speaking discourses are given due consideration. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to provide a multilingual bridge between the English-speaking and the French-speaking research. In particular, the OHS literature written French, English and other languages will be reviewed in order to identify the major determinants of OHS risks in small businesses, thus providing a starting point for more comprehensive, preventative programmes aimed at all small businesses
Occupational Health and Safety in the Kuwait Construction Industry: The Rationale for Research
Authors: Robertson Cathy , Lamm Felicity
Published: April 2018

Over half of all construction businesses in Kuwait are small firms employing fewer than 10 employees, most of whom are contingent, migrant workers. There is also anecdotal evidence that the practice of employing illegal migrant labour in the Kuwaiti construction industry, particularly amongst sub-contracting firms, is rife. There are disturbing indications that the injury and illness rate amongst construction workers is extremely high. The paper will present the rationale for the proposed study and highlight the characteristics of the Kuwaiti construction industry. A brief review of the literature outlined in the paper will also attempt resolve (or not) the following questions: what are the intersections between the literature on contingent workers and the literature on OHS in the construction industry? In addition, what does the research literature say on the extension to which cultural factors shape employers' practices and attitudes toward employment relations and workplace health and safety? Finally, areas for future research on the topic will he identified and mapped out.
Workforce Diversity: Evidence of Positive Business Outcomes and How to Achieve them. A Review of the Literature.
Authors: McPherson Mervyl
Published: April 2018

The demographic diversity of local and global work forces and markers is increasing within what is still generally a context of tight labour market conditions, especially or skilled labour. This paper reviews a wide range of literature on the impact of workforce diversity on business oil/comes and how that diversity can he best managed for business success. The review considers various types of diversity, different methodological approaches from quasi-experimental to case studies, and a range of positive business outcomes including improved staff recruitment and retention; improved creativity, innovation and problem solving, improved marketing strategies and outcomes, productivity and net financial returns. Although there are some specific studies or instances that appear to prove the exception to the rule, the consensus from the body of evidence existing to date is that diverse workforces are the reality of the future and that, in general, they have the potential to result in positive/enhanced business outcomes. The exceptions are generally explained away as being due to lack of best practice implementation of diversity and equality policies, and management of diverse teams and workforces. This paper, therefore, also investigates the key workplace, management and implementation factors associated with positive versus negative outcomes. We found lack of research into the links between diversity, workplace practices and business outcomes in the New Zealand context with its large number of small businesses, a unique range of ethnic groups and its own cultural norms, signaling the potential for further research.
Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO): The Impact of a Trans-Tasman Classification on Labour Market Data
Authors: Hancock Andrew
Published: April 2018

The introduction of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) into statistical collections, particularly the 2006 Census of Population and Dwellings, has enabled the first real comparison of occupation data using a consistent standard framework between Australia and New Zealand. The paper discusses the issues of introducing a harmonised classification into statistical collections and the impact for time-series and comparability of occupation data. Issues related to what to include in the classification structure, to ensure consistency in skill levels and to establish a framework that is practical for both countries to produce occupation data on will be examined. This paper will also discuss whether ANZSCO meets the need as a standard framework and introduces a strategy for ongoing maintenance and ensuring relevance and consistency moving into the future. In addition, commentary on the relationship with the 2008 International Standard Classification of Occupations will be provided.
Underutiilsed Labour: More than the Unemployed?
Authors: Hall Simon
Published: April 2018

The official unemployment rate in New Zealand has been below 5%for nearly six years and reached a 22-year low of 3.4% in late 2007. However, official unemployment statistics understate the availability of labour given they do not include an important group of people who want to work - the marginally attached. These are people who want to work, but are either not available or not actively seeking work and therefore are not classified as unemployed. But how different are those people that are marginally attached to the labour force compared to the unemployed? Since 1999, strong employment growth has coincided with a large drop in unemployment but the number of people marginally attached to the labour force has fallen only slightly. Using data from the Household Labour Force Survey, this paper tries to explain the reasons behind this by examining trends in those marginally attached to the labour force and whether this group is significantly different to the officially unemployed. While it is sometimes argued that those marginally attached to the labour force should be combined with the officially unemployed to give a measure of excess supply, this paper investigates whether this is sensible given they appear to be two distinct groups.
Job Vacancy Monitoring in New Zealand
Authors: Silverstone Brian , Wall Victoria
Published: April 2018

The now widespread use of the internet as a source of information on job vacancies may have undermined the usefulness of newspaper advertisements - and possibly surveys - as the traditional sources of timely, cost-effective and accurate information on labour market openings. This paper outlines New Zealand's recent job vacancy series. This is followed by selected international illustrations, measurement options, job vacancy reporting and by an assessment of the Department of Labour 's experience with vacancy monitoring. The overall aims of this paper are to raise the awareness, in principle, of job vacancy data as a useful indicator of labour market conditions and the challenges, in practice, of creating appropriate series.
Summary of Panel Discussion on Skills and Social Mobility
Authors: Bromell David , Corak Miles , Cross Bronwyn , Kerr Roger , Waldegrave Charles
Published: April 2018

This paper follows the discussion of a number of factors surrounding skills and social mobility by a broad panel of participants.
The Effects of Organisational Socialisation on Individual and Organisational Outcomes: A Review of the Literature and Directions for Future Research
Authors: Field Robbie , Coetzer Alan
Published: April 2018

Organisational socialisation (OS) is a critical process that all employees experience and the efficiency and effectiveness of the OS process impacts on the individual 's ability to adjust and perform, as well as the organisation's capacity to obtain employee commitment and retain staff. The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of the OS literature that examines the links between the OS process and important individual and organisational outcomes, in order to identify opportunities for further empirical research in this area. From a review of the literature undertaken, it was found that despite the strong arguments supporting the significance of OS and its links to important individual and organisational outcomes, important knowledge 'gaps’ exist in the OS literature. These include knowledge on the relationship between pre-encounter and encounter socialisation, the role of individual differences in newcomer adjustment, and the differences in OS approaches between small and large firms. The review of the literature also found significant methodological weaknesses in the literature. For instance, little research has examined OS from an employer and employee perspective. The paper concludes with suggestions for further research in order to stimulate study into particular aspects of OS.
Interactions with Low Wages: The Australian Approach to Work Benefits
Authors: Wilkin Sarah , Pech Jocelyn
Published: April 2018

It is not always well understood that Australia has a comprehensive set of social security arrangements with the potential to significantly supplement low wages, especially for families with children. These provisions have evolved over a long period, beginning with the introduction of child endowment in the 19-10s. During the past twenty-five years, the coverage of income transfers as a supplement to earnings has been significantly expanded, such that it now provides support for partners as well as for children and, in some cases. for low-paid full-time workers themselves. The Australian approach differs in a number of ways from approaches typically taken in other countries. This paper outlines how the Australian system of wage supplementation has evolved over the last century. It charts the evolving relationships between the income support system and minimum wages and highlights the influence of key policy changes on those relationships and the consequent financial incentives to take low-paid work. In conclusion, the paper reports recent evidence from the OECD which finds that Australia and New Zealand are among a small group of countries that consistently provide higher relative incomes for low-wage earners than comparable arrangements in most other developed countries.
New Zealand's Workers' Compensation: How Will it Fare in a Changing Environment?
Authors: McDonnell Nadine
Published: April 2018

The Woodhouse Report and the subsequent 1972 Accident Compensation Act was revolutionary. The right to sue to recover compensatory damages arising directly or indirectly out of personal injury was abolished, although there was still the provision to take an action for damages in a court outside of New Zealand. Since then, workers’ compensation in New Zealand has evolved and metamorphosed into our current scheme. However, the effectiveness of workers' compensation schemes in terms providing protecting injured workers and their dependents has been eroded over the years. This paper not only provides a brief background to the current system but also explores the notion that if the current workers’ compensation scheme is failing New Zealand workers, perhaps it is time to look at other alternatives. In particular, the tort system of law may afford workers fairer compensation and may spur employers to provide healthy and safe working environments.
Work Arrangements in New Zealand: First Results from the Survey of Working Life
Authors: Barnes Michelle , Boyd Sharon , Flynn Sophie
Published: April 2018

Work arrangements in New Zealand have changed substantially in the last 30 years, leading to increased diversity in contracting arrangements, hours and times worked, and terms and conditions of employment. This paper describes the current work arrangements, employment conditions and job satisfaction levels of employed people in New Zealander from data collected in the Survey of Working Life. The survey was run as a supplement to the Household Labour Force Survey in the March 2008 quarter, to answer questions such as: 'How prevalent is casual work in New Zealand?', 'How many employed people work non-standard hours?’ and 'Who is most likely to experience stress or discrimination at work?’ The focus o f the data analysis is to identify workers with different types of employment relationships (for example, temporary versus permanent employees), and describe the demographic and job characteristics associated with these different employment relationships. Working-time patterns and conditions of employment are the other key topics examined in this paper. It is intended that this supplement be repeated every three years to monitor changes in employment conditions, work arrangements and job quality in New Zealand.
New Zealand and Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: How are we doing and could we do better?
Authors: Reilly Amanda
Published: April 2018

This paper will focus on Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which confer respectively: the right to work, the right to the enjoyment of just and favourable conditions of work, and the right to form and join trade unions. It is argued that while, overall New Zealand has a strong domestic framework of legislation giving effect to these rights, there are some specific areas of present, and possible future, concern. Various aspects of New Zealand law and policy and some International Conventions, which align with, and strengthen, Articles 6, 7 and 8 are examined and it is concluded that: The right to work is a right to freely chosen work. On particular implication of this is that New Zealand needs to be careful about putting prisoners to work. The right to work includes a right to protection from unfair dismissal. Some groups in New Zealand suffer from discrimination, not only in accessing work but in enjoying equal opportunities and the rights which should attach to work.On going progress towards ratifying International Labour Organisation Conventions 87and I38 is desirable.
Call Centre Work and Health and Safety Issues
Authors: Hunt Vivienne , Rasmussen Erling , Lamm Felicity
Published: April 2018

The international research on call centre employment presents a mainly negative view of the nature of this work. A more positive portrayal of call centre work has been demonstrated in some New Zealand research, highlighting the problem of generalising across different contexts. Previous New Zealand research has also found variation in terms of employment outcomes, job satisfaction and career opportunities across various industries, type and size of call centre and different management approaches. This paper continues to explore the work experiences of call centre workers and is based on research in New Zealand conducted in public sector call centres. Insights from focus groups of trade union delegates informed the development of a survey which was circulated across 22 organisation, drawing responses from 845 call centre workers. The findings show that over half of the workers consider their call centre work is enjoyable most of the time, their work is strategically important and there are a number benefits. The benefits include career enhancements, new skills and developing social capital. However, despite the positives described in open ended survey questions and the ranking of attributes important to call centre workers, almost half of the respondents have health concerns about the nature of their work or the call centre workplace. It is this particular finding that is the focus of the paper. It illustrates the need for an occupational health focus to be extended to call centre employment in New Zealand.
Employers' and Employees' Understanding of Occupational Health and Safety Risks in Small Businesses: A Case Study
Authors: Pandy Bikram R , Laird Ian S , Olsen Kirsten B , Hasle Peter , Legg Stephen J
Published: April 2018

Many small businesses have hazardous work environments and exposures to significant occupational health and safety risks. Differences in understanding of risks by employers and employees are one of the factors leading to the hazardous work environment and risk exposures in small businesses. Employees generally describe “the tools of the trade” as the sources of risks of accidents and injuries, whereas employers generally identify “bad employees” or “bad luck” as the cause of accidents. It seems that employer and employees having the same or a shared understanding of occupational health and safety problems, their causal relations and the course of action is essential to remedy the work environment problems in the workplace. This paper describes a study that explores owner/managers’ and employees’ understandings of occupational health and safety risks in small business workplaces within the framework of the Local Theory of Work Environment. A case study of an independently operated restaurant and café in New Zealand employing 6-­19 employees was undertaken.. Data was collected using participant-­as-­observer ethnographic observation of the workplace followed by semi structured interviews of the owner, a manager and more than fifty per cent of employees employed in the business. Preliminary findings based on interview data are reported in this paper. The results suggest that the owner/manager and employees mainly consider physical safety problems experienced by employees or food safety problems affecting the customers as the key work environment problems. The owner/manager and employees generally link common sense and breach of norms with the causal relation behind these problems. Social exchange and external certification, among others, are found to be prominent reasons for bringing to attention the perceived problems in the wider work environment context. Implicit individual element of action and explicit organizational element of action are recognised as the two courses of action remedying the occupational health and safety problems. Further studies can be directed at finding how a shared understanding of the OHS risks occurs and what influences this process.
What do we know about New Zealand Workplaces?
Authors: Ryan Rose , Markey Ray
Published: April 2018

Over recent years, as interest has grown at a national level in improving productivity and performance, the workplace has received increasing research attention as a unit of analysis. Internationally, the existence of a High Performance Work Systems model has been debated, and there has been an outpouring of articles giving consideration to the range of workplace practices that are associated with this model. This has been facilitated by the existence in many countries of largeÂ­scale surveys that provide a systematic and robust evidence base for informed policy making. Within the New Zealand context, however, the empirical basis for drawing conclusions about the nature and spread of a range of workplace practices is sparse, and limited by the data available in official statistics and a continued reliance by researchers on smallÂ­scale case studies. This paper considers the limits of our knowledge about the dynamics of New Zealand workplaces, and questions whether the time has come for development of a large scale survey to provide robust empirical evidence to better inform decisionÂ­making by policy makers and practitioners.
How Green is my Occupation Classification?
Authors: Hancock Andrew
Published: April 2018

Economic growth that prevents environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, and reduces climate change is dependent on the identification of new statistical measures, particularly in the way society works. The challenge is to define green jobs and identify green skills and incorporate them into a statistical framework to facilitate integration of economic, social, and environmental components of the labour market. What jobs will stay, what jobs will go and what jobs will emerge? How will the way we work change and can a statistical occupation classification adapt accordingly? The current concept of skill which underpins the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO) classification may impose a constraint limiting the immediate opportunity for change within the classification structure. However the current ANZSCO classification should be flexible enough to provide an avenue for beginning the process of identifying new occupations in this emerging area of the New Zealand economy. Are green jobs actually new jobs as per existing classification principles or are they just new names for existing jobs? Are there actually new skill requirements that change the way current occupations are described? What are the attributes that need to be measured? This paper seeks to explore the feasibility of defining and classifying green jobs and green skills within the existing ANZSCO framework which may be able to be addressed at the next minor review of the classification.
Forecasting Migration Flows for New Zealand: Arrivals of New and Returning New Zealanders & Departing by Destinations
Authors: Zhao Xintao , SriRamaratnam Ram , Van Seventer Dirk
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this paper was to outline the methods and to report results of an econometric attempt to forecast New Zealand migration flows. Flows were decomposed into eight components: two relating to arrivals and six components relating to departures by several destinations. Linear time series regression and the HoltÂ­Winters exponential smoothing method were applied to quarterly data from June 1978 to June 2008 or from March 1990 to June 2008. WithinÂ­sample mean absolute percentage errors were presented and fullÂ­sample estimates from June 1978 to September 2010 or from March 1990 to September 2010 were used to forecast migration flows for each component for the next two years.
Replication Study: Undergraduate Students Balancing Paid Semester Work and Study
Authors: Burns Edgar , Yahanpath Noel
Published: April 2018

The current study of student semesterÂ­time paid work uses the questionnaire from the earlier by Manthei & Gilmore. They gathered data from an Education Faculty, 83 undergraduates using a questionnaire asking about degree study and partÂ­time paid work while studying. They note in their article that there is no similar data in New Zealand (2005, p. 202). While a number of Australian studies can be found in the literature, the aim of the present study is in replicating Manthei and Gilmore’s work to provide additional New Zealand data and also to see whether findings are consistent with the polytechnic sector. Further, two developments, first, the move to cap university places, and second, tighten quality assurance focus on student achievement and retention, will have consequences for all institutions in the tertiary system. Measuring students’ partÂ­time paid work is an important aspect in assessing consequences for students’ academic work, and policy settings that might follow. Whether the results differ or are similar, this research process widens out the evidential base of the earlier study. Manthei & Gilmore were at pains in the conclusion of their article to caution about overÂ­generalisation from their one study.
Safe Enough? The Working Lives of New Zealand Children
Authors: Anderson Danae
Published: April 2018

The experience of New Zealand children in their working lives is a traditionally underÂ­ researched area and existing research has been promulgated from the NGO sector (ACYA 2003, CARITAS 2007 & 2003), with children under the age of 18 recounting their working experiences. Of concern are worrying trends relating to the lack of legislative protection of children, particularly in the areas of minimum age for work and health and safety. Further, key findings are presented from survey and interview data of young adults reflecting on their working lives as children. Working conditions varied widely according to industry type, in which the best working conditions appeared to be those provided by relatives or family friends. While young people were generally positive about their workplace experiences, some dangerous and illegal trends were signposted. These findings challenge the assumptions of the governments and regulatory authorities that children are ‘adequately’ protected by current legislation and practice. While there continues to be debate regarding New Zealand’s ratification of some United Nations (UN) and International Labour Organisation (ILO) protocols relating to protecting children in their working lives, little discourse is evident relating to domestic legislative and monitoring capacity in this concerning area of the labour market. Therefore, the central aim of this paper is to inform discussion on children’s work and help identify areas of concern in the working conditions of New Zealand children.
Cultural and Organizational Perceptions of Support Towards Mental Health Outcomes: A Study of Maori Employees
Authors: Haar Jarrod M. , Broughman David
Published: April 2018

The present study tests a culturally specific dimension of perceived organizational support (POS) based on support for Maori culture in the workplace. MetaÂ­analyses of POS have shown it to be a strong predictor of many employee outcomes, and we extend the literature by testing perceived organizational support for culture (POSC) on a group of 345 employed Maori. The present study suggests that indigenous employees will perceive greater support from their organizations when their cultural values and beliefs are upheld and supported, which should lead to beneficial effects. Due to the high prevalence amongst Maori, we test this towards mental health outcomes. Data was collected in two time periods, with POS and POSC collected at time one and mental health outcome at time two (two weeks later). Structural equation modeling was utilized to test the study measures and the measurement model met all the minimal requirements. In particular, POSC and POS were found to be distinct constructs and both correlated significantly and negatively with mental health outcomes. POSC was found to be positively related to POS and negatively related to anxiety, depression and insomnia. An additional mediation model was run, where POS was tested as mediating the effects of POSC towards outcomes and this was fully supported. Overall, POSC predicted POS and in turn, POS predicted all mental health outcomes in the expected direction. The present study suggests that support for indigenous employee’s cultural beliefs is likely to have positive indirect effects towards mental health, working through employee perceptions of support.
The Relationship Between Workplace Practices and Firm Level Productivity in New Zealand
Authors: Andrews Grant , Lineham Brett
Published: April 2018

Raising New Zealand’s growth in productivity (ie output per person employed or hour worked) has become a topic of increasing political and academic debate. This has been driven by recognition that the relative decline in our incomes (compared to those of other developed nations) is a direct consequence of our inability to raise our productivity at a comparable rate. In this paper, we examine issues relating to achievement of productivity growth within organisations. We firstly contextualise this by providing a general overview of productivity trends, including the connection between firmÂ­level and wider productivity. We then outline a framework for considering business practices and how these might affect workplace productivity; review New Zealand research findings about the relationship between workplace practices and firmÂ­level productivity growth; and discuss the results of recent studies (done or funded by the Department of Labour) of change processes within organisations. From this, we conclude that there is a wide range of business improvement options, depending on the needs of the individual organisation; that significant improvements in workplace practices can be achieved; and that these contribute to a range of better operational outcomes. Ultimate benefits in productivity can be expected but are harder to attribute. However, the experience of the organisations studied highlights the challenges inherent in these processes, which require sustained commitment, and buyÂ­in from people at all levels. There were significant differences in outcomes between those organisations that began with positive internal relationships and culture, and management leadership, and those where these conditions were absent.
Pay Equity and Equal Employment Opportunity in New Zealand - Developments 2008/2010 and Evaluation
Authors: Hyman Prue
Published: April 2018

This is the fourth in a series of LEW papers updating developments relating to pay equity and EEO and evaluating their impact. As with my previous papers, it focuses primarily on gender, but also discusses the overall situation and touches on issues related to ethnicity, age and disability. In the last two years the election of a National Government has led to an even less interventionist climate, with the abolition of the Pay and Employment Equity Unit in the Department of Labour and the cancellation of associated pay equity investigations. This paper will discuss these moves and what remains of the Unit’s work and other EEO initiatives. It will also examine recent evidence on discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, age, and disability, as well as reports/recommendations/actions for its elimination – including employer/union attempts to improve opportunity for recent migrants and people with disabilities. The situation for older workers will also be examined, with increasing labour force participation at 65+ observed and encouraged, despite considerable discrimination faced by this group. Finally, the paper will discuss the EEO impacts of the 90 day initial period in which the normal dismissal provisions of employment law are waived and other actual and foreshadowed changes to the law potentially reducing labour market protection.
Labour force participation in New Zealand: Tecent trends, future scenarios and the impact on economic growth.
Authors: Paterson David , Brown Simon
Published: April 2018

This paper examines labour force participation trends in New Zealand, how we compare to the rest of the OECD and how participation and economic growth might be affected in the future by population ageing. Participation has risen significantly over the past 20 years despite an increase in the average age of the workingÂ­age population. We have looked at how participation has changed by age, gender and ethnicity. By contrast, average hours worked has declined over the past 20 years and we consider the reasons for that. Population ageing means the recent growth seen in labour force participation is likely to come to an end, with the participation rate projected to decline over the medium term. Falling participation will have a dampening effect on economic growth. We have investigated the impact of declining participation on gross domestic product using official labour force projections and identified a range of scenarios for what participation might look like in the year 2029. In each scenario, we discuss the impact on economic growth. Most other OECD countries are in a similar situation to us with respect to population ageing. We have looked at the latest Australian projections for economic growth in the long term and the increased growth in New Zealand’s productivity that would be necessary to begin to close the gap on Australia.
The Quality of Temporary Jobs: Insights from the Survey of Working Life
Authors: Dixon Sylvia
Published: April 2018

This paper discusses some of the insights that can be gained from the Survey of Working Life (2008) on the main features of temporary employment, the reasons that are given for working in a temporary job, and the pay and conditions of temporary employees. In the March 2008 quarter 9.4 percent of employees were working in temporary jobs. Most of the older adults and more than half of the young adults who were employed on a temporary basis indicated that they preferred temporary work, while primeÂ­aged adults were roughly equally divided between preferring temporary work and wanting a permanent job. There were substantial differences between temporary and permanent employees in the job quality indicators considered, but also substantial differences among the four main types of temporary worker (casual, fixedÂ­term, temporary employment agency and seasonal).
Labour Underutilisation in New Zealand
Authors: Flynn Sophie , Fromm Andrea
Published: April 2018

The purpose of this paper is to introduce a preliminary measure of labour underutilisation in New Zealand using data from the Household Labour Force Survey (HLFS). Underutilisation measures add value to the suite of labour market indicators already available from the HLFS. In particular, the underutilisation rate complements the unemployment rate by providing a broader picture of unmet demand for paid employment in New Zealand. The concept of underutilisation and the necessity to measure underutilisation is based on recommendations of an International Labour Organization (ILO) Working Group on Underutilisation made in 2008. The Working Group recommended that ‘... the statistical community should devote serious efforts to introduce, at a par with unemployment, a supplementary concept which measures the employment problem as experienced by individual workers.’ The development of underutilisation measures is also important to mirror changes in increasingly transitional labour markets and to enable analysis and evaluation of these changes.
The Role of Collective Bargaining in Paid Parental Leave Policy in New Zealand?
Authors: Blumenfeld Stephen , Cavagnoli Donatella
Published: April 2018

Labour MP Sue Moroney’s Parental Leave and Employment Protection (Six Months' Paid Leave) Amendment Bill to extend paid parental leave (PPL) to 26 weeks by 2014 was drawn from the Member's ballot in April and made it past its first reading in July, with all parties except National and Act indicating their support. One of the objectives of this bill, according to its sponsor, is to bring New Zealand in line with the rest of the industrialised world. In many industrialised countries, however, in the absence of any statutory entitlement, collective bargaining has played a crucial role both in determining PPL policies and in shaping legislative initiatives (Gregory and Milner 2009; Baird and Murray 2012). This article considers the role of collective bargaining in PPL policy in New Zealand.
The Workplace Experiences of Waitresses: Exploring the Nature of Emotional Labour
Authors: Burton Hannah , Piercy Gemma
Published: April 2018

In western developed economies, it is service work that is increasing most swiftly; thus as westerners, we are now more likely to experience this sector as either workers or clients (McDowell, 2009). This paper explores the working experiences of three young female waitresses in order to better understand the nature of the service sector in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand society. This exploration incorporates a literature review covering the nature of interactive service sector work, as well as findings from in-depth interviews. The interviews focussed on the management-worker-customer triadic relationship that characterises interactive service work. The interviews were also used to explore how exploitation and alienation can be experienced in service sector workplaces. Each of the three women described times when they felt the power of others (employer, co-workers and/or customers) imposed upon them through poor management practices, workplace bullying and conflicts, and negative customer interactions. The findings demonstrate that their relationships with co-workers and managers were far more important than those with various customers, with the former being reported as the source of higher levels of workplace strain and distress. This challenges the literature’s emphasis on both the customer and the employer negatively affecting workers when they are engaged in emotional labour. The interviews also indicated some support for Bolton and Boyd’s critique of Hochschild’s arguments on emotional labour, in relation to the young women’s expression of agency. This is because the women expressed that there were times during their work in which they were able to make decisions independently. This is demonstrated by the moments of autonomy the women indicated they experienced when they were at work, as well as their descriptions of how they were able to exercise agency in relation to the flexible nature of their jobs. Most significantly, however, it was the young women’s description of how they managed their emotional labour by holding their service sector identity as a temporary part of their life that indicated their internal agency and ability to resist the more negative aspects of their jobs. The women also indicated that the‘enjoyable aspects of work’, including the benefits of gaining industry based skills and qualifications, and finding personal enjoyment in positive interactions with customers, also helped mitigate the more negative aspects of their work life.
Who Left, Who Returned and Who Was Still Away? Migration Patterns of 2003 Graduates, 2004-2010
Authors: Papadopoulos Tas
Published: April 2018

New Zealand’s stock of skills is significantly affected by external migration flows - more so than almost any other developed country. Lack of information, particularly on outward migration, has restricted analysis in the past. However the recent integration of data on border movements into Statistics NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) has opened up new avenues for research. This paper uses this new data to produce descriptive statistics on the extent that graduates from tertiary education institutes leave New Zealand post-completion, and the extent to which they return again. It looks at the cohort of New Zealand students who completed a tertiary qualification in 2003 (the earliest year possible) and looks at migration outcomes up to and including 2010.
Confidentiality in Mediation: A Review of New Zealand Case Law
Authors: Keith Michael F.
Published: April 2018

The Employment Relations Act 2000 has as a core value the settling of employment relationship problems at the lowest level practicable. Mediation plays a prominent part in this process. A key issue in the mediation process is the application of confidentiality. Through review of significant cases determined by the Employment Relations Authority, Employment Court and the Court of Appeal, this paper examines the development and application of confidentiality within the mediation process in New Zealand. The Paper finds that while the law is well developed ethical and public interest issues remain. Further judicial and parliamentary consideration is called for.