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Staying Underground

Informal Work, Small Firms, and Employment Regulation in the United Kingdom

Bibliographic Data

ID2362043
AuthorsM Ram (0000-0003-1901-6654, De Montfort University, corresponding author), Paul Edwards (0000-0003-4220-7408, University of Warwick), Trevor Jones (0000-0002-5992-545X, De Montfort University)
Year2007
Volume34
Issue3
Pages318-344
Publication date2007-08-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueWork and Occupations (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0730-8884 • E-ISSN: 1552-8464
PublisherSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0730888407303223
OpenAlexW2027440386
LanguageEN
Citations received27
References cited54

Why does a universal labor law, the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in the United Kingdom, have little effect on firms operating in the informal economy? In explaining this particular empirical puzzle, the authors go beyond dominant accounts of the informal economy-the neo-liberal and the marginalization theses-to develop analysis based on the negotiation of consent within the labor process. Evidence from employers and employees in 17 firms is presented. The informal sector developed social relations of work that operated independently of the NMW, a key aspect being a tacit negotiation of order even under conditions apparently unhelpful to such practices. Informality was deeply embedded in relations of work that continued to reproduce themselves

Business · Economics · Informal sector · Labour economics · Labour law · Management · Market economy · Minimum wage · Negotiation · Political science · Sociology · Tacit knowledge · Employment and Welfare Studies · Labor Movements and Unions · Law · Taxation and Compliance Studies · Industrial Relations

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Unique citing works27
Citations per year1,5
Citation span2008 - 2026 (19)
Citation velocitycurrent
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 27
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