Collective Interest Associations and Knowledge-Workers

It is widely claimed that the economy has changed in a way detrimental to an organized (i.e. collective) approach to employment relations. These changes include a multiplicity of trends such as, for instance, the emergence of a service- and knowledge-society, the "feminization" of paid work, the internationalisation of markets, the spread of non-standard employment and rising unemployment. Since these developments tend to foster individual orientations leading to a growing emphasis on self-interests, the subjectively perceived benefits of membership in collective industrial relations actors (e.g. trade unions, business associations) are assumed to decline in relation to its costs. Historically, trade unions, professional and business associations have been quite successful in creating a sense of commonality and collective strength by constructing their representational systems on the basis of functional and fixed categories, such as class, sector and occupation. However, as individualisation is claimed to become more important, especially among highly qualified workers, a collective representation of their work- related interests - at least in its current forms - comes under pressure. Against this background, we will focus our research on a group - the knowledge workers - that might be able to represent both: the demise of a collective interest representation and hence, solidarity or its revitalization by reflecting upon its necessity. Knowledge-work, "characterized by variety and exception rather than routine, [] is performed by professional or technical workers with a high level of skill and expertise." Having these characteristics in mind, the category of knowledge-workers comes rather close to a normative model of the future worker proposed by Voß/Pongratz the `entreployee`, in that their heterogeneous and highly individualised working conditions might contribute to very individualistic personality traits and, as a consequence they might be less inclined than other employees to organise. However, knowledge-workers are also assumed to be able to reflect the importance of a collective organisation especially when it comes to protect their prime resource: knowledge. Unions, business or professional associations are supposed to be far better able than individuals to limit access to the labour market and hence, exclude potential competitors by licensing or other means of regulating knowledge production and application. In this regard, the project aims to reveal: firstly, the interests, needs and aspirations of knowledge-workers and their attitudes concerning individual self- and collective interest representation at workplace-, sector- and political level. And secondly, the representational powers and organisational capacities of employee organisations, business and other professional associations to address, aggregate and enhance the interests of knowledge-workers.

It is widely claimed that the economy has changed in a way detrimental to an organized (i.e. collective) approach to employment relations. These changes include a multiplicity of trends such as, for instance, the emergence of a service- and knowledge-society, the "feminization" of paid work, the internationalisation of markets, the spread of non-standard employment and rising unemployment. Since these developments tend to foster individual orientations leading to a growing emphasis on self-interests, the subjectively perceived benefits of membership in collective industrial relations actors (e.g. trade unions, business associations) are assumed to decline in relation to its costs. Historically, trade unions, professional and business associations have been quite successful in creating a sense of commonality and collective strength by constructing their representational systems on the basis of functional and fixed categories, such as class, sector and occupation. However, as individualisation is claimed to become more important, especially among highly qualified workers, a collective representation of their work- related interests - at least in its current forms - comes under pressure. Against this background, we will focus our research on a group - the knowledge workers - that might be able to represent both: the demise of a collective interest representation and hence, solidarity or its revitalization by reflecting upon its necessity. Knowledge-work, "characterized by variety and exception rather than routine, [...] is performed by professional or technical workers with a high level of skill and expertise." Having these characteristics in mind, the category of knowledge-workers comes rather close to a normative model of the future worker proposed by Voß/Pongratz the `entreployee`, in that their heterogeneous and highly individualised working conditions might contribute to very individualistic personality traits and, as a consequence they might be less inclined than other employees to organise. However, knowledge-workers are also assumed to be able to reflect the importance of a collective organisation especially when it comes to protect their prime resource: knowledge. Unions, business or professional associations are supposed to be far better able than individuals to limit access to the labour market and hence, exclude potential competitors by licensing or other means of regulating knowledge production and application. In this regard, the project aims to reveal: firstly, the interests, needs and aspirations of knowledge-workers and their attitudes concerning individual self- and collective interest representation at workplace-, sector- and political level. And secondly, the representational powers and organisational capacities of employee organisations, business and other professional associations to address, aggregate and enhance the interests of knowledge-workers.