Has ‘Discretionary Learning’ Declined During the Lisbon Agenda? A Cross-Sectional and Longitudinal Study of Work Organisation in European Nations

Abstract

This paper explores changes in the organisation of work in European nations over 2000-2010. Results show a decline in the Discretionary Learning (DL). Periods of economic expansion tend to be DL enhancing, while periods of economic stagnation tend to reinforce the use of more hierarchical forms of work organisation. More generally, the results show that cross-country comparisons do not provide a sound basis for drawing conclusions about how the evolution of national labour market policies impact on changes in work organisation over time within nations.

Keywords: work organisation, labour market policies, time series cross sectional analysis, economic conjuncture

JEL Classification: J48, J81, L23, P51