bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Viticulture Labour Recruitment and Retention Issues
Authors: Mao Wei Wei , Shields Michelle
Published: April 2018

Those involved in the New Zealand wine industry have voiced concerns about increasing labour shortages, wage issues, and working conditions for short-term labourers in the viticulture industry. This research is aimed at clarifying issues related to recruitment and retention of workers in New Zealand vineyards. The research is exploratory in nature and includes a review of recent literature on the extent and nature of the problem and provides survey feedback from individual workers and members of viticulture management on the factors that affect labour recruitment and retention. Key findings from the survey are that wages and. by extension, the cost of accommodation, are critical actors affecting workers’ decisions to return to the industry in subsequent seasons. In addition, viticulture owners and managers report that selection of contractor-supervisors is pivotal in ensuring appropriate worker skills are available during peak production periods.
The PBRF and its Implications for Academics (in the Humanities and Social Sciences)
Authors: Curtis Bruce
Published: April 2018

This paper discusses the likely impacts of the Performance-Based Research Fund. 2003 Quality Exercise on academics in New Zealand. It is argued the Performance-Based Research Fund (PBRF) is one of a number of developments within the 'new managerialism' of public institutions that stands to downgrade forms of professional control enjoyed by academics (Abbott, 1991). The downgrading of academic professions internationally is well-documented (Halsey, 1992) and it would be surprising if academics in New Zealand were exempt from these pressures. More unanticipated, however, is the extent to which academics, at least within the humanities and social sciences of universities, pursue strategies that collectively undercut existing forms of professional control over labour markets, peer review and public esteem.
Help Wanted in New Zealand: The ANZ Bank Advertisment Series
Authors: Silverstone Brian
Published: April 2018

The ANZ Bank publishes a monthly count of the number of job advertisements appearing in New Zealand newspapers and, more recently, internet sites. It is New Zealand's de facto vacancy or help-wanted series. Apart from its role in economic commentaries, there is very little published research using this data. This paper is a preliminary attempt to remedy this omission. It covers descriptive aspects of the ANZ job ads series including the vacancy rate, the hiring rate, regional characteristics and proxy vacancy series. This is followed by an outline of the vacancy-unemployment (Beveridge curve) and hiring frameworks and some initial econometric work. Overall, the paper highlights the importance of the vacancy rate and the hiring rate in any assessment of labour market conditions in New Zealand.
An Interpretation of New Zealand's Regional Employment Change by Means of Classic Shift-Share Analysis 1986-2001
Authors: Baxendine Sandra , Cochrane Bill , Pool Ian , Poot Jacques
Published: April 2018

Over the last two decades New Zealand has undergone fundamental economic restructuring, and phases of slow and rapid growth, which have resulted in some dramatic changes in the regional economies. This paper focuses on changes in regional employment outcomes in terms of the impact of national trends on regions, sectoral composition within regions, structural change and local conditions. These changes are quantified by means of classic shift-share analysis. Regions are clustered based on the direction and relative importance of national and region-specific effects. The clustering highlights the chasm that has developed in New Zealand between metropolitan and other services-oriented regions vis-a-vis rural and peripheral regions.
Local Job Flows in New Zealand
Authors: Mare David C , Timmins Jason
Published: April 2018

Small changes in the level of employment are generally the result of a large number of jobs being created and a roughly balancing number of jobs being destroyed In this paper we examine patterns of job creation and destruction for local labour markets in New Zealand between 1987 and 2003. The growth or decline of employment in local labour markets is far from homogeneous. The paper focuses on whether local labour markets experience greater employment growth following periods of high rates of simultaneous job creation and destruction (job churn). However, we find little evidence to support this hypothesis. The estimated effect of the level of job churn on future employment growth, within labour markets, was found to be statisticallyand economically insignificant.
Effects of Multiple Job Holding on the Work-Life Balance
Authors: McClintock Wayne , Taylor Nick , Warren Julie
Published: April 2018

Multiple job holding is a significant feature of the contemporary New Zealand labour market, with at least one in ten people actively involved in the workforce holding more than one job at a time. Research into the effects of multiple job holding on the lives of workers in three sectors shows there can be considerable impact on their work-life balance. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with male and female health professional, farmers, and cafe or restaurant workers. The research shows that multiple job holding is comparatively well established in the agriculture and health sectors, with multiple job holders expecting to remain as such for the longer term. While multiple job holding may be equally established in the cafe and restaurant sector, the multiple jobs holders do not generally expect to remain so for long so the multiple job holding appears more transitional. Multiple job holders, who typically work long hours, are motivated by a range of factors, with economic reasons dominating. However, personal factors and pulling together a portfolio of work are also important. Overall, workers interviewed in the three sectors tend to hold their jobs because they want to rather than because they have to. Nevertheless, multiple job holding affects lives outside work, particularly family activities, participation in leisure and exercise, and community involvement. These effects on work-life balance vary by sector.
The Impact of Privacy Legislation on the Workplace: The New Zealand Experience
Authors: Roth Paul
Published: April 2018

This paper describes how New Zealand's Privacy Act applies in practice to the workplace, and what its effect has been in relation to the protection of workers’ privacy interests. While there are a few areas where the legislation is effective, it has been largely a disappointment for workers, who are increasingly subject to privacy-intrusive practices in the workplace. Individuals’ interests have always tended to be overridden in institutional and contractual settings where individuals lack bargaining power. The main argument of this paper is that New Zealand's Privacy Act, now in force for over eleven years, has hardly affected the balance of power in relation to workplace privacy matters. The irony is that those who are best placed to take advantage of the legislation in the employment setting are unsuccessful job applicants and dismissed employees; i.e. those who are not actually in a subsisting employment relationship. Despite the existence of privacy legislation, it is employment law that remains of paramount importance for the protection of workers’ privacy interests. The New Zealand experience suggests that effective workplace privacy protection can only be attained through specific sectorial regulation that overrides managerial prerogative and the ability of workers to contract out or their rights.
How Much Does Disability Affect the Likelihood of Employment
Authors: Jensen John , Sathiyandra Sathi , Rochford Mike , Jones Davina , Krishnan Vasantha , McLeod Keith
Published: April 2018

This paper describes the methodology and results of a study of the effects of disability on employment, and considers some of the policy implications of the .findings. The study is based on data from two Statistics New Zealand surveys: the 2001 New Zealand Disability Survey and the 2001 Household Labour Force Survey. Key research questions include: what is the level of employment (both part time and full time) amongst people with disability; to what extent are people with disability less likely to be in employment when other personal characteristics (age, gender, ethnicity, qualifications, etc.) are taken into account; and how is the likelihood of employment related to type of disability, severity of disability and the existence of multiple types of impairment? Multivariate analysis of disability data is used to produce a disability typology containing six categories: hearing, vision, mobility, co-ordination/dexterity, learning/memory, and psychological/psychiatric. Employment outcomes are examined for people with each of these types of disability, at different levels of severity. To develop the analysis beyond this descriptive level, a regression-based procedure is used to estimate for people with disability what their employment outcomes would have been in the absence of disability (assuming that other characteristics are unchanged). This provides a counterfactual to the descriptive results on employment, thus permitting assessment of the effect of each type of disability on employment. Additionally, an additive risk model is developed that relates the likelihood of employment to a general risk score based on the number of types of disability that a person has and the severity of those disabilities.The results show that those with disabilities have a greatly diminished likelihood of full-time employment. However, the effect is much smaller when the outcome examined is any degree of employment (i.e. part-time or full- time employment). Those with a hearing disability experience a smaller negative effect in terms of employment outcomes than those with other types of disability, for whom the effects are approximately equal in size. The likelihood of employment diminishes sharply with the severity of disability for all of the disability types except hearing disability; for the latter type, employment does not seem to be very much affected by severity (to the extent that the severity of hearing disability is able to be assessed from the survey data).The paper concludes by considering the study's implications concerning the effectiveness of policies for reducing the negative impact of disability on work participation. In the view of the authors, the findings suggest that there may be greater potential than has been appreciated to raise the level of full-time employment amongst people with disabilities. The challenge is to develop policies that would achieve this.
High Rates of Male Injuries in the Work Place
Authors: Duke Timothy
Published: April 2018

It is widely recognised that males work in occupations with the greatest risk of injury. The number of claims for work related injuries by males made up nearly three-quarters of all claims in 2003 (Injury Statistics - Work-related Claims 2003).When occupation categories are broken down into more defined areas of the workforce, the comparative difference between males and females can be narrowed and in some occupations there is no statistical difference in the incidence rate. The majority of occupations, however, are still dominated by male injuries.This paper provides information on the breakdown of males and females in the workforce and how their risk of injury differs. The exploratory analysis undertaken provides limited support for the idea that sex is a factor in workplace injury. However, there are clearly many other factors influencing the injury rate (as measured by workplace claims), and many of these cannot be easily measured or separated from other factors.
Reporting on Occupational Health and Safety in Annual Reports: A Look at Disclosure Practices in New Zealand
Authors: Brown Judy , Butcher Frances
Published: April 2018

In recent years many organizations in New Zealand have begun to voluntarily disclose health and safety information in their annual reports. This paper considers the rationales for such disclosures and reviews the disclosure practices of 100 of New Zealand's largest employers. It utilizes an index adapted from Morhardt (2002) and good practice guidance developed by the Health and Safety Commission in the United Kingdom (HSC 2000) to evaluate both the quantity and quality of reporting. Benchmarked against these indicators, the authors conclude that there is considerable scope for improving the overall standard of health and safety reporting in New Zealand. The paper notes some current initiatives and offers suggestions to progress developments in this area.
Welfare Reform for Low-wage Worker in New Zealand: Will Working For Families Work?
Authors: Nolan Partrick
Published: April 2018

In May 2004 the New Zealand Government announced a number of welfare reforms (the Working for Families reforms) that will account for an increase in welfare expenditure of approximately $1.1 billion per-annum when fully implemented. Two objectives of these reforms are to reduce child poverty and to improve financial incentives for work at low wages. This paper evaluates the effectiveness of these reforms in achieving these objectives. Research is cited that shows that Working for Families should significantly reduce child poverty. This research, however, contains no estimates of the labour market behavioural effects of the reforms. This paper therefore estimates the likely labour market behavioural effects of the reforms and the impact of these effects on poverty reduction effectiveness and targeting efficiency. The improvement in financial incentives for work facing sole parents will be likely to improve the poverty reduction effectiveness of the reforms. The increase in disincentive facing secondary earners will be likely to encourage partnered families to reduce their hours of work and market incomes. These responses will be likely to improve the targeting efficiency of the reforms but at a cost of increasing the excess burden of the welfare system.
Industry Training Strategies in Australia and New Zealand
Authors: Dunn Chris
Published: April 2018

Since the 1980s much emphasis has been placed on the need for a dramatic re-orientation towards workplace education and training in both New Zealand and Australia to up-skill employees so they can participate in the global knowledge society and contribute to the development and growth of national economies. There are similarities in the way government and industries in both countries have responded to these concerns. There has been a shift away from traditional apprenticeships to industry based vocational education and training. This has produced rapid growth in the numbers of participants. However there are significant differences in the structure and philosophy of training provision in each country. This raises questions about the comparative efficacy of the processes, and relevance of outcomes to intended goals. Comparing the two 'systems ' helps us step back from the fog of policy and quantitative achievement measures to see more clearly issues of concern and perhaps how they may be addressed.
The Review/Development of the Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO)
Authors: Hancock Andrew
Published: April 2018

Statistics New Zealand and the Australian Bureau of Statistics are undertaking a joint project to produce a new Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations (ANZSCO). This paper will discuss the reasons and background for the project. In addition there will be discussion on the use of skill level and skill specialisation as conceptual criteria and how this is utilised to produce an intuitive classification structure. The paper will also look at the issues being faced by both statistical agencies to produce a relevant 'real-world' classification that ensures that contemporary and future user needs are met.
Labour Market Trends and Outlook
Authors: Stroombergen Joselyn
Published: April 2018

Given New Zealand's recent robust economic performance, 3.6% per annum on average since 1999, the strong improvement in a wide array of la hour market indicators has not been surprising. What has surprised many economic commentators has been the continued strength of the labour market in the face of the recent slowing economic activity.The ability of the economy to make use of its labour capacity may have improved suggesting a fall in New Zealand's non-accelerating inflation rate of unemployment (NAIRU).With labour utilisation now stretched to the limit if we want to maintain economic growth at levels we have become accustomed to, we will need to substantially lift the level of labour productivity growth in the coming years. However making the transition to a more productive economy while maintaining the gains we have achieved in labour utilisation will not be an easy task.
Migration and Population Aging: The Global Challenge
Authors: Easton Brian
Published: April 2018

This paper argues that not only do aging populations face the need for sufficient workers to provide them with public pensions; the elderly also need workers to service their needs. The likely source of these relatively unskilled workers is from migration from poorer countries, thus linking labour markets in a globalised world much more than might be expected from the experience of the Twentieth Century. These migrants will be ethnically different from the destinations populations, as occurred in the Nineteenth Century. The most import research challenge is to get as indication of the magnitude of the flows and therefore the degree of resulting ethnic heterogeneity.
An Analysis of Job Mobility and Earnings in New Zealand
Authors: Maloney Tim
Published: April 2018

The movement of workers between jobs may play an important role in determining both the average level and overall dispersion in earnings in an economy. Yet, there has been almost no research to date on the extent and nature of job mobility and its possible consequences for individual earnings in New Zealand. This study provides some initial empirical results on this topic using administrative data provided by Statistics New Zealand (Linked Employee-Employer Data). We find that job mobility is extensive, but that high rates of job separation during the first year or two in a job eventually dissipate with tenure. Job mobility is generally higher among teenagers and young adults, but differences by gender are minimal. In fact, overall job mobility is generally higher for men than women. Individuals changing jobs receive monthly earnings that are, on average, below the earnings received by individuals who do not change jobs/ We find that job changes are associated with a narrowing in this earnings gap. However, this result disappears once we control for a wide variety of other determinants of earnings growth, Firm characteristics appear to play important roles in the relationship between job mobility and earnings. A move to a larger firm (i.e one with more employees) and a firm that pays higher average earnings to all its employees can result in a substantial increase in individual earnings. Earnings growth is also found to be negatively related to the time interval between jobs, and the initial earnings of the individual. Once we hold these individual and firm characteristics constant, however, job changes by themselves lead to a relative decline in earnings growth.
Minimum Wage Systems: An Asia Pacific Perspective
Authors: Barry Michael , Brosnan Peter
Published: April 2018

Modern minimum wage systems have operated for more than a century. Some Pacific countries were among the pioneers in establishing minimum wages. This paper discusses the many aims that minimus wages are designed to achieve. These include promoting social justice, alleviating poverty, promoting economic development, setting benchmarks for other wages and social security payments, and controlling inflation. The Asia Pacific region has only a small number of countries with adequate minimum wage systems. There are many deficiencies in the various systems. They often do not cover all workers, are often set at unrealistically low levels, or are enforced inadequately. The paper discusses the causes of these deficiencies and the consequences of them for those who rely on minimum wages.
Employers' Attitudes and Practices on the Hiring of Immigrants
Authors: North Nicola H.
Published: April 2018

A social issue to emerge in relation to skilled immigration is the severe difficulties many immigrants encounter in finding employment. A mixed method study on employers’ experiences, practices and policy regarding employing recent immigrants was conducted. A postal survey produced 246 questionnaires (previously reported). Follow-up unstructured interview were conducted with a sub-et of 19 employers who wished to further discuss the matter, the focus of this paper. Results showed that in spite of overall positive experiences with immigrant employees, when recruiting employers were influenced to a large extent by previous New Zealand work experience and to a slightly lesser extent by New Zealand qualifications. When practices of recruiting were discussed in the interviews, a complex web of reasoning on the part of employers emerged that had the end result of severely disadvantaging immigrant applicants, particularly those from non-English speaking countries, relative to New Zealander applicants The issues raised by employers that were used to the detriment of immigrant applicants included English language and communication, cultured fit and the manner in which immigrants approached companies for employment. Interview participants also commented on how immigrants could make themselves more employable, advice that paradoxically highlighted the Catch-22 situation many immigrant applicants find themselves in. Research is needed into the dimensions of disadvantage faced by immigrants, including the real differences and their impacts between local and immigrant applicants. Research is also needed into mangers’ and work teams’ acceptance and management of diversity in the workplace.
Apprenticing Our Future: Is the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme the Answer to Skills Shortages?
Authors: De Bruin Anne , Spoonley Paul , McLaren Eva , Baron Patrick
Published: April 2018

Despite the recent slow-down of economic activity in New Zealand, serious skill shortages continue and are among the most severe in the OECD. In particular, the large and enduring trades-skill gap is well documented, not only in the New Zealand context but also globally. Recent policy measures, such as the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme, have been welcomed but are only a small step forward in addressing what appears to be an ongoing skills crisis in the traditional trades sector. New Zealand employers remain generally pessimistic that these measures will adequately address the skills deficit, in the short as well as longer term. Systematic barriers remain and the apprenticeship system is constrained and problematic. This paper draws on qualitative data from two studies of employers conducted under the auspices of the interdisciplinary, FRST-funded Labour Market Dynamics Research Programme. It examines the issues, challenges and solutions for enhancing apprenticeship training and ensuring a steady pop-line growth of apprentices in New Zealand. The experiences of employers inform recommendations for training providers, industry organisations and policy agencies in order that they might adapt existing and adopt new strategies to respond to skills shortages via the Modern Apprenticeship Scheme. National good practice is also highlighted.
Workforce Development: The Latest Silver Bullet?
Authors: Murray Nicky
Published: April 2018

The term 'Workforce Development’ is used with increasing frequency by policy makers, academics and labour market practitioners. On the surface, it is a relatively unproblematic term, yet closer investigation suggests that it is often used as a 'catch-all ' phrase, which may have quite different meanings and implications, depending upon the user and the context. In this exploratory paper, I first trace the genesis of the term, noting its theoretical underpinnings in systems thinking. I then discuss some of the drivers behind the evolution of the concept of Workforce Development and examine why it appears to have supplanted notions of workforce or manpower 'planning’. Using the health and disability sector as a case study, I highlight some of the differences in how the term is used, and discuss the implications. Finally I ask if the use of a new term, reflecting a presumably significant shift in ways of thinking about the 'workforce’, translates into actions that do, in fact, 'develop’ that workforce.
From Black-and-White to Shades of Grey: Research of a Call Centre Employment
Authors: Hunt Vivienne , Rasmussen Erling , Lamm Felicity
Published: April 2018

Call centres are a growing phenomenon worldwide. These have prompted extensive research especially from those concerned with the labour processes and employment practices used in these workplaces. Much of the call centre literature is based on comparative research, attempting to analyse the employment environment and making claims about call centre work in general. However, the classification of call centres is not simple and straightforward and the mainly comparative nature of the call centre research is problematic because of this complexity. Many of the comparative studies do not take in the wider perspectives of the organisation, the location, the sector or the division of labour. This paper presents findings from six New Zealand case studies chosen to represent the diversity of the New Zealand call centre sector. The analysis of the findings shows mixed evidence regarding employment outcomes but clearly demonstrates that work in call centres can be very positive for women who work there.
An Analysis of Teenage Employment by Firms: 1999/00-2006/7
Authors: Hyslop Dean , Mare David C , Stillman Steven , Timmins Jason
Published: April 2018

This paper uses data from Statistics New Zealand 's Linked Employer-Employee Database (LEED) to analyse the teenage employment responses of high teen employment firms in the four main teen employment industries to increasing relative wages of teen workers over the period 2000-2007, against a backdrop of substantial increases in the minimum wages for teenage workers. Among continuing firms, we find mixed evidence whether high teen- employers reduced their teen employment relative to other firms over the period. Analysing changes over the period as a whole, we estimate that initial high teen-employing firms reduced their subsequent teen employment by 2.5-3 percentage points for firms in the main teen-employing industries: however, analysing annual changes, we find small and insignificant effects for these firms. We also find preliminary evidence that high teen employment is associated with firm entry and exit: firms in the main teen-employing industries with high teen-employment at the beginning o f the period, had about a 3 percent lower survival rate than other firms: while firms entering the main teen-employing industries during the period had about 2 percent higher teen-employment shares in the final year than continuing firms.
Degrees of Separation in the New Zealand Workforce: Evidence from Linked Employer-Employee Data
Authors: MacGibbon Nairn W.
Published: April 2018

Recently published analysis of messages sent over the Microsoft instant-messaging network has shown that the old maxim of six degrees of separation is not far from the truth. The idea is that, on average, you are connected by no more than six links to all other 6.7 billion people on Earth. These links can be through blood, friendship or an acquaintance - you know someone who is friends with someone whose sister is married to someone ... and so on. Using Statistics NZ's Linked Employer-Employee Dataset (LEED), this maxim is tested on a network of wage and salary earners in New Zealand. The average shortest path between employees is derived, together with a range of measures, which describe characteristics of this unique view of the New Zealand labour market network.
Labour Market Outcomes for Immigrants in New Zealand
Authors: Stillman Steven , Mare David C.
Published: April 2018

This paper uses data from the 1997-2007 New Zealand Income Survey to examine the labour market performance of immigrants in New Zealand. Specifically, we use a synthetic cohort approach to examine how employment rates and hourly wages for immigrants compare to those for the New Zealand-born. Extending previous work, we examine how outcomes for immigrants change with years spent in New Zealand in a semi-parametric manner that makes no assumptions about how labour market outcomes evolve as more host country experience is acquired. The pattern of entry disadvantage followed by subsequent relative improvement is more pronounced for employment rates than for wage rates.
Adjusting for Changes in Labour Composition in Statistics New Zealand's Productivity Series
Authors: McNaughton Thomas
Published: April 2018

In measuring labour productivity, a composition-adjusted series is generally considered to provide the most representative measure of labour input. The rationale for adjusting for changes in labour composition is that workers are not homogenous, and as such, have different skill levels. Not only should this provide a more accurate measure of labour input, but it can also provide insight into the effects that changes in labour composition have on productivity. In practice, this process is undertaken by cross-classifying labour by proxies for skill, such as educational attainment and experience. The relative skill levels of different groups are estimated via regression analysis, through differences in hourly wages. This paper evaluates the various theories behind compositional adjustment, and presents the results of applying such an adjustment to the Statistics NZ labour productivity series, under various conditions. The ultimate contribution of the paper is an experimental composition-adjusted labour productivity series, for which external feedback is welcomed.
Intergenerational Economic Mobility in New Zealand
Authors: Gibbons Matthew
Published: April 2018

This paper, which briefly summarises recent research by Treasury, tentatively quantifies intergenerational economic mobility in New Zealand using income data from a cohort study of people born in Dunedin in 1972-1973, and occupation data from the 1996 Election Study's post-election survey. The intergenerational income elasticity point estimate for all Dunedin Study participants was .26 when using fathers' incomes to explain children's incomes, with the 95% confidence interval stretching from .14 to .39. Even with controls for the gender of participants and their father's age, the proportion of variance explained was only 13%. For the nation-wide Election Study the point estimate for the effect of father's socio-economic status (SES) on the SES of respondents was .20 for respondents aged 25 years and older, with a 95% confidence interval of .16 to .24. However, father's SES and the age and gender of respondents explained only 5% of the variance in respondents’ SES. We have to be cautious when interpreting our results because both datasets contain proportionately fewer Maori and Pacific peoples than the New Zealand population, the Election Study data is now almost 13 years old, and the Dunedin Study participants have not reached their peak earning years. Our intergenerational income mobility estimate for New Zealand has wide confidence intervals, while confidence intervals for estimates of intergenerational occupational mobility are not available for most countries. As a result, we reached few firm conclusions about New Zealand's relative position compared to other countries.
Mapping the Productivity Terrain
Authors: Bryson Jane , Renton Michelle , Davenport Sally , Daellenbach Urs , Leitch Shirley , Motion Judy
Published: April 2018

Starting from a broad discussion of the range of debate and interest in productivity, our focus narrows to explore the territory of firm-level productivity. We review how productivity at firm-level has been defined and studied. We then turn our attention to the New Zealand context reviewing recent attempts by several government policy agencies to map the terrain and drivers of productivity. Within these we find some consensus, but also some divergence which we discuss. Finally we identify gaps in knowledge about productivity at the, firm-level, and we outline how our FRST funded 'Building our productivity’ research project aims to study these gaps in order to improve our map of the productivity terrain.
Improving Productivity Through Enhancing Employee Wellbeing and Participation
Authors: Markey Ray , Harris Candice , Lamm Felicity , Kesting Stefan , Ravenswood Katherine , Simpkin Gay , Williamson David
Published: April 2018

This paper outlines the rationale and methodology for an international comparative project investigating the links between workplace productivity and employee wellness and well being via the operation of representative employee participation structures in Denmark and New Zealand. It will define and discuss the often contentious terms of productivity, wellbeing and participation and how employee participation and wellbeing and the work environment impact on productivity. This paper employs a multi-dimensional theoretical framework and will assess the significance of the issues examined: analyse the impact of employment practices and quality of the work environment on productivity: and as a result present the methodology developed for the project.
The Impact of Crime Victimisation on Individual Well-Being: Evidence from Australia
Authors: Velamuri Malathi , Stillman Steven
Published: April 2018

This paper examines the impact of being a victim of violent or property crime on labour market outcomes and general well-being using longitudinal data from the nationally representative Household Income and Labour Dynamics of Australia (HILDA) survey. We estimate fixed effects regression models that examine changes in outcomes for individuals before/after victimisation relative to changes in outcomes over time for non-victims. Our results highlight considerable heterogeneity in the causal impact of crime victimisation: (I) the impacts of violent crime victimisation are stronger and more wide-ranging than those of property crime victimisation; (2) male victims of violem crime experience poorer employment prospects following victimisation; (3) older victims of violent crime report a deterioration in mental health for two years after the event; (4) women face reduced, persistent prospects of marriage/co-habitation following crime victimization; and (5) there is strong evidence of a negative impact of victimisation on life satisfaction measures but these effects do not persist.
The Training's A-Comin' In: An Analysis of Training Decision Using Microdata
Authors: Mason Geoff , Mok Penny , Nunns Peter , Stevens Phillip , Timmins Jason
Published: April 2018

In this paper we utilise a speciallyÂ­designed survey, the Business Strategy and Skills (BSS) module of the Business Operations Survey 2008 (BOS 2008) to investigate the determinants and intensity of training in three aspects: training of new staff; training of existing staff changing roles and the training of existing staff for their existing roles. We examine both the probability and intensity of each type of training as a function of the external and internal skill gaps as well as a suite of other variables including the firms’ size, previous performance, its ownership, its competitive environment and the occupational breakdown of its staff.
A Good Worker is Hard to Find: The Determinants of Skills Shortages in New Zealand Firms
Authors: Mason Geoff , Mok Penny , Nunns Peter , Stevens Phillip , Timmins Jason
Published: April 2018

This paper investigates the determinants of firms’ external skill shortages – that is, vacancies that are hard to fill for skillÂ­related reasons. This paper utilises a speciallyÂ­designed survey, the Business Strategy and Skills (BSS) module of the Business Operations Survey 2008 (BOS 2008). We estimate the determinants of firms reporting having vacancies and skill shortage in comparison to the nonÂ­skillÂ­related vacancies using probit models and twoÂ­stage (Heckman) probit models with selection, to enable us to distinguish between those factors related with the firm posting a vacancy and those that make them difficult to fill. We consider a broad suite of variables, including firm’s size and industry, their market focus, R&D investment, innovation, previous performance (e.g. productivity), the degree of competition they are subject to.
The Pause that Refreshes: A Study of Self-Funded Leave
Authors: Furbish Dale S.
Published: April 2018

SelfÂ­funded leave programmes provide a time resource to employees so that they can pursue interests outside their normal employment. This article reports the results of qualitative research conducted on 16 workers who completed a selfÂ­funded leave programme. SemiÂ­structured interviews were used to explore participants’ motivations to enrol in the selfÂ­funded leave programme, how the leave contributed to workÂ­life balance through development of nonÂ­work life roles, and difficulties that arose during participation in the selfÂ­funded leave programme. Results reveal that participants did use selfÂ­ funded leave to improve their workÂ­life balance and augment other lifeÂ­roles. However, unpredicted events influenced how the leave time was actually used, which was often different from original plans and goals. Adult transition theory is used to conceptualize the process of participating in selfÂ­funded leave and to suggest how employees who undertake selfÂ­funded leave can be best supported by employers.
OH&S Small and Medium-Size Enterprises and the Issue of Cultural Diversity: Ongoing Research in the Construction Industry
Authors: Martin Christophe , Pelleterat de Borde Melchior , Guarnieri Franck , Lamm Felicity
Published: April 2018

This paper reports on the findings from stage one of a collaborative New Zealand and French research project on the construction industry and in particular the link between occupational health and safety (OHS), subcontracting and cultural diversity. The construction sector in France, New Zealand and elsewhere has not only one of the highest injury, illness and fatality rates but the sector also has a prevalence of small subcontracting firms and a substantial migrant labour force (CNAM, 2008; Department of Labour, 2009). The practice of outsourcing in this industry has created a complex web of subÂ­contracting with an international dimension and resultant confusion over regulatory responsibilities for the health and safety of workers. Thus, those in the industry are grappling with challenges of managing a culturally diverse workforce within a hazardous working environment. Hiring poorly paid migrant labours in the construction industry, however, is not a recent phenomenon in either France or New Zealand. This in turn has created a melting pot where diversity can be both an advantage and a weaknesses in terms of safety. One the on hand the enormous variability of demographic and social status (Jounin, 2009) and cultures (a term which here encompass personal, collective and professional elements) can lead to dissonance on construction site and yet on the other hand diversity can stimulate innovative ways of implementing safety measures more effectively (Mearns and Yule, 2009). Given that the international subcontracting process and migrant labour are central to the construction industry, the aim of this qualitative research is to identify and explain the sources of OHS failure and suggest adjustments that need to be made.
"No country for old men": A note of the Trans-Tasman Income Divide
Authors: Coleman Andrew , McDonald Hugh
Published: April 2018

Although much work has been done analysing the possible causes of the New Zealand- Australian income gap, to date there has been little analysis of the extent to which this gap differs by gender and age. Using New Zealand and Australian employment and census data we examine these differences and find that (1) over the last 25 years the incomes of New Zealand women have declined less rapidly than those of New Zealand men, relative to Australian incomes; (2) this poor relative performance of New Zealand males was felt most by those in middle age; and (3) the stronger relative income growth of New Zealand females appears to be largely driven by increased public sector wage growth, and as such, its long term sustainability is questionable.
Do Employer Groups help with Dairy Farm Employment? Why hasn't the idea caught-on'?
Authors: Tipples Rupert , Bewsell Denise
Published: April 2018

Dairy employer groups began to appear about 2000 in response to employment difficulties as the dairy farm labour market encountered low unemployment. Edkins and Tipples (2002) reported to LEW 10 on the development of the Amuri Dairy Employers Group (ADEG). Since then other groups and enterprises have been established and flourished or failed. In this paper developments since 2002 are considered. Factors promoting their success are contrasted with causes of failure. In that time the labour force in dairy farming has changed radically (Tipples, Callister & Trafford, 2010). The paper considers how these changes have fitted with dairy employer groups and suggests ways in which the benefits experienced could be further developed and shared more widely.
Productivity Implications of Changing Employer Attitudes and Strategies
Authors: Foster Barry , Rasmussen Erling
Published: April 2018

The paper discusses two debates; the rise of individualism in employment relations and the role of employers attidudes and strategies in this shift. Secondly the affect this is having on achieving a highÂ­wage high skills economy. The methodology for this paper used three surveys providing a national coverage of private sector organisations employing ten or more staff. These were undertaken using a crossÂ­sectional design where the surveys matched the sample demographics used by previous New Zealand studies. SemiÂ­structured interviews were also carried out. The main findings are that the New Zealand ’experiment’ in employment relations that has been carried out over the last 2Â­3 decades has not produced the high productivity growth that was intended by its designers.
Real Wages and Productivity in New Zealand
Authors: Rosenberg Bill
Published: April 2018

The standard neo classical model implies that the real wage should equate to the marginal product of labour, and therefore wages should, at least in the long run, rise at the same rate as labour productivity. That also underlies much of the politics of wage setting. This paper investigates the empirical relationship between real wages and labour productivity in New Zealand. It first looks at the labour share of income (GDP) and finds that the share has fallen in recent years indicating that real wages are also falling behind increases in labour productivity. It then considers variants of three wage measures that are available: the average hourly wage, the Labour Cost Index and the Compensation of Employees measure which is part of the National Accounts. In real terms, increases in the average wage and in the Compensation of Employees measure fall well behind increasing labour productivity. An analytical (non ­official) series of the LCI measures tracks productivity very closely whereas the published LCI is essentially flat or falling when deflated. The paper concludes that real wage rises vary widely from labour productivity increases even over several business cycles. This has implications for wage setting, for the measurement of wage rates and productivity, and for the economic and wage models tested.
When Conduct is Deemed to Occur in the Workplace and the Liability of Employers for the Sexual Harassment of one Co-Worker by Another
Authors: McLuskie Peter
Published: April 2018

This paper analyses the different approaches of the Employment Relations Act 2000 and the Human Rights Act 1993 as to whether sexual harassment of one coÂ­worker by another occurs as a part of the employment relationship. It examines the Court of Appeal and the Human Rights Review Tribunal regarding the liability of the same person (Smith) for sexual harassment. The Court of Appeal upheld Smith’s dismissal as it impacted on his employment relationship, while the Human Rights Review Tribunal held Smith’s behaviour was not in the in the course of his involvement in employment. Reasons for the difference between the two decisions are examined, looking in particular at employer liability for the actions of coÂ­workers, and the different ways the two Acts deal with such liability. Canadian and Australian approaches to employer liability are examined, noting consistency between the approaches in their human rights and employment legislation. It is suggested that inconsistencies between the Employment Relations Act and the Human Rights may lead to different outcomes regarding employer liability. Finally it is suggested that, given the differences between the two Acts, it would be better for matters of sexual harassment to only be dealt with under the Human Rights Act.
Measuring Job Vacancies in New Zealand Through Jobs Online
Authors: Fale Anne , Tuya Carmel
Published: April 2018

The Department of Labour released a new online job vacancy monitoring series – Jobs Online – in December 2009. This series reports the change in the number of advertisements listed on key job boards: SEEK and Trade Me Jobs. Jobs Online serves as an early indicator of changing labour market and economic conditions.

This paper provides an overview of how job vacancy data was collected in New Zealand and overseas. It outlines how the Department of Labour changed its collection of job vacancy data from the Job Vacancy Monitoring Programme (JVMP) – a manual count of newspaper advertisements – to Jobs Online – an electronic analysis of on­line advertisements on major job boards. The results from Jobs Online are discussed and compared with other labour market indicators.

Overall, the results from Jobs Online show an increase in job vacancies over time in total vacancies and in skilled vacancies. This is in line with employment growth in New Zealand after the recession that started in June 2009. Since October 2010 the growth in job vacancies is easing, but remains positive. The data on skilled vacancies is broken down by region, occupation and industry.

The data from Jobs Online tracks well with other labour market indicators such as the unemployment rate. According to economic theory, the Beveridge curve shows the relationship between the vacancy rate and the unemployment rate over time. The Department’s empirical analysis of the Beveridge curve confirmed that a high vacancy rate calculated from Jobs Online was associated with a low unemployment rate. In addition, a low vacancy rate calculated from Jobs Online was associated with a high unemployment rate.