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The myth of organization autonomy

Social workers’ salary under the lump sum grant subvention system in Hong Kong

Bibliographic Data

ID12916463
AuthorsHaijing Dai (0000-0003-4562-3706, Chinese University of Hong Kong, corresponding author), Niantao Jiang (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Ruobing Li (0000-0002-6526-6497, Chinese University of Hong Kong)
Year2021
Volume16
Issue1
Pages22-32
Publication date2021-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAsian Social Work and Policy Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1753-1403 • E-ISSN: 1753-1411
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/aswp.12244
OpenAlexW4200469131
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited17

Adopting the principles of managerialism, the Lump Sum Grant Subvention System in Hong Kong grants service organizations autonomy to deploy resources. Using organization‐ and individual‐level survey data, this article examines the salaries of social workers under the managerialist subvention system and investigates its impacts on frontline service professionals. We found that when service organizations adopted flexible employment terms to hire social workers, they offered lower minimum wage. Smaller organizations, which are often believed to benefit more from the system, paid social workers lower minimum wage. When individual social workers made use of flexible employment terms and switched their jobs in the welfare sector, there was no evidence that their income levels would be raised—on the contrary, switching jobs for three or more times would in fact lower their income levels. Furthermore, while the system encouraged social workers to get more involved in management work, there was no evidence that increasing work hours on management‐related work would increase the income of social workers. As organizational autonomy does not necessarily result in income justice for frontline social workers, clear guidelines, supervision, and policy interventions in the management of service organizations are still needed in social service planning and delivery

Autonomy · Business · Economic growth · Economics · Labour economics · Political science · Public relations · Salary · Service (business · Service delivery framework · Social policy · Social Welfare · Welfare · Labor Movements and Unions · Law · Social Policy and Reform Studies · Social Work Education and Practice · Social Work · Marketing

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Unique citing works1
Citations per year0,33
Citation span2023 - 2023 (1)
Citation velocityhistorical
Highly citedNo
Citation typesNeutral: 1

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