A comparison of differences and/or similarities between contract and permanent employees in the workplace

grantor: University of TorontoThis study deals with some aspects of the recent changes in employment structure and its effects on workers. For several years, contract employment has increased significantly in both the public and private sectors. The literature has tended to ignore this shift in both employment and corporate structure. This study used qualitative research involving 23 employees: 16 contract and 7 permanent. There were 14 women (the flexibility of contract employment appealed more to women than to men) and 9 men. Interviews took place during a 2-year period. I conducted a follow-up one year later to determine whether any job changes had taken place. The methodology was based on grounded-theory research; the theory emerged from the data for this qualitative study. I compared existing organizational and attitudinal theories about workers and tested their applicability to contract employees. The organizational theories included: The Core vs. Periphery, and the Shamrock Organization. The attitudinal theories included: The Frame of Reference Theory, Partial Inclusion Theory, Discrepancy Theory, the Job Model, the Social Characteristics Model, Life Cycle and Adult Development Theory, and Two-Factor Theory of Job Satisfaction. I found that individuals on contract must deal with financial and emotional insecurities that permanent employees do not have. Contract employees have a different attitude to the workplace and their position in it from permanent employees. The best theoretical fit for organizational theories was the Shamrock Organization model. The best attitude-theory fit was the Life Cycle and Adult Development Theory. Analysis of the interview data also produced 7 themes dealing with contract employee issues: Advantages (1), Employment growth (2), Disadvantages (3), Emotions (4), Identity (5), Insecurity (6), and Telecommuting (7). The themes show the pros and cons of contract employment, identify what contractors describe as their most sensitive issues at work and in their personal lives, comment on what drives the growth in contract employment and how the contract and permanent employees interact as coworkers, and highlight differences between contract and permanent employees in both tangible and emotional terms. On the basis of this material, I make recommendations for employers, permanent employees, unions, employment law makers and educators.Ed.D