Work and Employment in a Globalized Era: An Asia Pacific Focus

The economic successes in the 1980s and early 1990s of the East Asian Newly Industrializing Economies fostered economic integration in the region, and ultimately assured their prominent position in the global economy. After much soul searching both Australia and New Zealand realized the benefits of tying their economic futures to that of East Asia and, as a result, became key economic players in Pacific Asia and indeed the global economy. The financial crisis towards the end of the last millennium demonstrated the down side of the increasing integration of the global economy, tarnishing the region's reputation as a miracle economy. Recent months, however, have witnessed a flurry of economic activity in the region, which now appears to be experiencing both a resurgence and expansion of global corporate activity and, hence, a reassertion of its global influence. This book explores the mulltiple impacts of global competitive pressures brought about largely by globalization on employment relations in Pacific Asia. The volume brings together research from Australia and New Zealand, as well as from China, Japan, Malaysia and Singapore, to illuminate our understanding of what is actually happening to organizations, workforces, employee groupings and individual employees as a result of globalization and the intensification of global competition in Pacific Asia.

Table of Contents:
Work and employment in a globalized era, Yaw A. Debrah and Ian G. Smith; globalization and confrontation - the transformation of the Australian coal industry, Peter Waring et al; Australian trade unions' responses to human resource management initiatives in a globalized era, Peter Holland et al; labour responses to globalization - the Australian experience, Bernard McKenna; cross-cultural diversity, leadership and workplace relations in Australia, Dianne Lewis et al; expatriate academics in a globalized era - the beginnings of an untold story?, Julian Richardson; globalized new public management and its impact on scientific research activity in New Zealand, Steve McKenna; globalization, economic crisis and employment practices - lesson from a large Malaysian Islamic institution, Pawan Budhwar and Khairul Fadzil; global competitive pressures, labour market and employment issues in the Japanese service sector, Yoko Sano; globalization, economic development and the reliance on guanxi as a job search strategy by Chinese students, Cheng Soo May; conclusion - globalization, work and employment in the Asia-Pacific region, Ian G. Smith and Yaw A. Debrah.

About the Author :
Edited by Debrah, Yaw A.; Smith, Ian G.

Review :
'A welcome addition to the fledging literature on this important subjec t... a substantial contribution towards broadening our understanding of an important, yet sparsely researched, aspect of the process of economic development in Pacific Asia.' - ASEAN Economic Bulletin