Skill-Biased Organizational Change? Evidence from A Panel of British and French Establishments

S-Tier
Journal: Quarterly Journal of Economics
Year: 2001
Volume: 116
Issue: 4
Pages: 1449-1492

Score contribution per author:

4.022 = (α=2.01 / 2 authors) × 4.0x S-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

This paper investigates the determination and consequences of organizational changes (OC) in a panel of British and French establishments. Organizational changes include the decentralization of authority, delayering of managerial functions, and increased multitasking. We argue that OC and skills are complements. We offer support for the hypothesis of "skill-biased" organizational change with three empirical findings. First, organizational changes reduce the demand for unskilled workers in both countries. Second, OC is negatively associated with increases in regional skill price differentials (a measure of the relative supply of skill). Third, OC leads to greater productivity increases in establishments with larger initial skill endowments. Technical change is also complementary with human capital, but the effects of OC is not simply due to its correlation with technological change but has an independent role.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:oup:qjecon:v:116:y:2001:i:4:p:1449-1492.
Journal Field
General
Author Count
2
Added to Database
2026-01-25