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Routes to Part‐Time Management in UK Service Sector Organizations: Implications for Women’s Skills, Flexibility and Progression
Author(s) -
Tomlinson Jennifer
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
gender, work and organization
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.159
H-Index - 73
eISSN - 1468-0432
pISSN - 0968-6673
DOI - 10.1111/j.1468-0432.2006.00326.x
Subject(s) - flexibility (engineering) , negotiation , directive , hospitality , time management , working time , service (business) , public relations , tertiary sector of the economy , business , position (finance) , marketing , labour economics , political science , work (physics) , management , computer science , economics , engineering , finance , tourism , law , mechanical engineering , programming language
This article examines the implications of part‐time working for mothers, particularly with regards to their occupational mobility and acquisition of skills, in UK service sector organizations following the implementation of the Part‐time Workers’ Directive in 2000. Through qualitative interviews with women and their managers in five hospitality workplaces, this article explores whether part‐time workers are potentially the ‘losers’ in the ‘winner‐takes‐all’ approach to career development. Discussions focus upon the extent to which part‐time workers can access career paths or, alternatively, whether part‐time management positions are the reserve of highly skilled women who are able to negotiate reduced hours after obtaining a management position full time. In conclusion, this article distinguishes between two forms of working‐time flexibility, which are named optimal and restrictive. The implications of these alternative types of flexibility, in terms of access to skill acquisition and occupational mobility, are then addressed.