Temporary and regular workers fulfill their tasks side-by-side, but in different learning conditions
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify temporary workers' (temps') expected conditions for learning when they are leased to a client company (CC) for numerical flexibility.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis is based on a phenomenological approach containing 121 transcribed interviews with employees and managers who were active in more than 10 CCs' in seven industries and from seven temporary work agencies.
Findings
One important finding is that the CC expects temps not to learn something about the surrounding organization, but to limit themselves only to the concrete tasks assigned to them. Another is that temps' opportunities to influence organizational conditions in the CCs seem to be cut off in a strategic way.
Research limitations/implications
Results are valid for interviewees' expressed thoughts and expectations about temps' workplace learning, not about an actual separation between knowledge and actions in the working conditions.
Practical implications
CCs associate temps with learning backgrounds that allow them to perform subordinate tasks, such as routine, instructional, or regulatory duties. They associate regular staff with more advanced learning backgrounds and tasks more directly related to occupation and workplace. CCs could benefit from accepting the exchange of knowledge and competence between temps and the company, rather than neglecting it.
Originality/value
The originality of this paper lies in its contribution to the relatively unexplored topic of workplace learning and leaders and employees' expectations of temps.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank The Swedish Council for Working Life and Social Research (FAS) and The Swedish Governmental Agency for Innovation Systems (VINNOVA), which funded the studies reported in this paper. FAS funded the studies from 2004 (Dnr 2002-0208) and 2008 (Dnr 2006-0880), and VINNOVA funded the study from 2010/2011 (Dnr 2009-03060). The funders did not have any influence on the research after they approved funds for each study. The author also would like to thank his colleagues Lena Boström, Associate Professor, PhD, Jimmy Jaldemark, PhD, Gunilla Olofsdotter, PhD, and Lena Randevåg, MPh, and two anonymous reviewers from the journal for their critical but constructive comments on drafts of the manuscript.
Citation
Augustsson, G. (2014), "Temporary and regular workers fulfill their tasks side-by-side, but in different learning conditions", Journal of Workplace Learning, Vol. 26 No. 2, pp. 79-90. https://doi.org/10.1108/JWL-06-2013-0037
Publisher
:Emerald Group Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited