Article Green Open Access 2017

Understanding employer engagement in youth labour market policy in the UK

Human Resource Management Journal
Journal · Vol. 27 · Issue 4 · pp. 548-564
Abstract

This article applies van Gestel and Nyberg's framework to analyse employers' decisions about whether to engage in policies to help young people into work. The article identifies two main logics underpinning organisational decision making: an HR logic and a corporate social responsibility (CSR) logic. It is argued that engaged employers see a clear alignment in those logics, whereas less engaged employers see few advantages in one, the other or both areas. When this analysis is located within an institutional context that accounts for the agency of key actors, it is argued these logics explain decisions about whether or not to engage with particular labour market policies. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd

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Author Keywords

vocational education and training apprentice institutional theory Qualitative research methods human resource strategy

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Author Affiliations
School of Management, University of Leicester School of Business, Leicester, Leicestershire, United Kingdom
Funding & Acknowledgements
British Academy
Grant: MD130010
Many thanks to all the participants in the research and to the anonymous reviewers whose comments have been so useful in the development of the paper. This work was supported by British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship MD130010 and UnionLearn Funding – Youth Skills project.
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