To what extent have the decline of the traditional career and the Essay

To what extent have the decline of the traditional career and the qrowth of non-standard work arrangements led to a fundamental shift in the nature of the psych - Essay Example There is evidence of substantial changes in work and job profiles. The issues involved have far-reaching implications. This could lead to increased polarization of the work force, income disparities which is quite conspicuous now, and new forms of social exclusion. It may not be the end of work but its attenuation in terms of quality of life and of working life will boomerang. Have there been a decline of the traditional career and the growth of non-standard work arrangements and has this led to a fundamental shift in the nature of the psychological contract. This paper takes a close look at what could have been and what is. What is a contract? Contracts are a ubiquitous and binding feature seen in organisations the world over. A Contract serves as a bond that brings together employees and employers together to achieve the organisational goal. Although macro research has paid some attention to the study of contracts, such as by Williamson, 1975 (Robinson, Kraatz, & Rousseau, Changing Obligations and the Psychological Contract: A Longitudinal Study, Research Notes) 2, an elaborate study or focus on the research on this field leaves a lot to be desired. â€Å"Technological advancement is assumed to be the most irresistible driver of change. Technology will create new jobs and transform existing work to higher skill levels, or information technology will destroy jobs or degrade them into less skilled, more routine work (Changing Nature of Work 1999). The widespread shortage of IT workers suggests that jobs are being created on a large scale. Worker surveys indicate that skills and responsibilities have increased due to digital technology (Changing Nature of Work 1999)† (Kalleberg, NON-STANDARD EMPLOYMENT RELATIONS: Part-time, Temporary and Contract Work, www.cete.org, referred on 16.04.2006)3. â€Å"Martin and Butler (2000) found "widespread agreement" in the literature that the old employment contract is dead or