The Human Capital Hoax: Work, Debt and Insecurity in the Era of Uberization

Human capital theory – developed by neoclassical economists like Gary Becker and Theodore Schultz – is widely considered a useful way to explain how employees might enhance their value in organizations, leading to improved skill, autonomy and socio-economic wellbeing. This essay argues the opposite....

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Vydáno v:Organization studies Ročník 38; číslo 5; s. 691 - 709
Hlavní autor: Fleming, Peter
Médium: Journal Article
Jazyk:angličtina
Vydáno: London, England SAGE Publications 01.05.2017
Sage Publications Ltd
Témata:
Autonomy
Debt
Economic well being
Economic wellbeing
Economists
Employees
Employment
Gig economy
Human capital
Investments
Job insecurity
Occupations
Organization studies
Portfolios
Productivity
Security
Self employment
Socioeconomic factors
Theory
Well being
Work
Workforce
tertiary education
personal debt
self-employment
skill
Uberization
human capital theory
zero-hour contracts
resistance
ISSN:0170-8406, 1741-3044
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Shrnutí:Human capital theory – developed by neoclassical economists like Gary Becker and Theodore Schultz – is widely considered a useful way to explain how employees might enhance their value in organizations, leading to improved skill, autonomy and socio-economic wellbeing. This essay argues the opposite. Human capital theory implies that employees should bear the costs (and benefits) of their investment. Highly individualized training and work practices are an inevitable corollary. Self-employment, portfolio careers, the ‘gig economy’ and on-demand business models (including Uber and Deliveroo) faithfully reflect the assumptions that inform human capital theory. I term this the radical responsibilization of the workforce and link it to growing economic insecurity, low productivity, diminished autonomy and worrying levels of personal debt. The essay concludes by proposing some possible solutions.
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ISSN:0170-8406
1741-3044
DOI:10.1177/0170840616686129