Patterns of enterprise flexibility

Abstract

"The debate on flexibility has recently shifted focus from individual employees, forms of employment and remuneration to converge on the entire range of options open to corporations, in particular technological upgrading, research, innovation in tandem with investment, longer operating times, organisational changes, in-house basic training and advanced training. So flexibility at the level of the individual establishment and its effects on the economy and employment system are now centre-stage. The purpose of the IAB Establishment Panel was to undertake empirical employment research in the form of interviews, followed up annually in the same establishment and new units, with a view to building up a new range of data on individual companies. This process has yielded representative results on the process of introducing flexibility in business activities, with more than 4,000 usable statements for all 1.6 million establishments of every size class and sector. Compared with case studies in flexible companies, sectoral studies on the use and distribution of key technologies or new forms of organisation, and analyses of developments of new corporate forms or services that are said to be exemplary, our results enable statements to be made for individual and the economy as a whole for all establishments in western Germany. Our analysis concentrates on data obtained at the management level of establishments, for taken together, they make up the competitive fabric of Germany and determine the flexibility of the production and employment system." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))

Cite article

Bellmann, L., Düll, H., Kühl, J., Lahner, M. & Lehmann, U. (1997): Patterns of enterprise flexibility. IAB establishment panel results, Western Germany, 1993-95. In: IAB Labour Market Research Topics No. 24, p. 1-31.