Me, myself, and I: self-citation rates are higher in individualist cultures than in collectivist cultures

Citing your own work when publishing a paper may be seen as a way of promoting yourself in academia, as how frequently a paper is cited is often viewed as a measure of its importance. Previous studies have shown that male authors are more likely than their female counterparts to cite themselves, arguably one of the reasons men continue to dominate the academic profession. Reporting on recent research, Nick Deschacht finds that authors from western, individualist cultures are more likely to use many self-citations than authors from more collectivist cultures. Findings demonstrate the need for academic institutions to be aware of the cultural and gendered nature of self- promoting behaviour when making hiring and promotion decisions

Do employer preferences contribute to sticky floors?

We investigate the importance of employer preferences in explaining Sticky Floors, the pattern that women are, compared to men, less likely to start to climb the job ladder. To this end we perform a randomised field experiment in the Belgian labour market and test whether hiring discrimination based on gender is heterogeneous by whether or not jobs imply a promotion (in comparison with employees’ current position). We find that women get 33% less interview invitations when they apply for jobs implying a first promotion in functional level. On the other hand, their hiring chances are not significantly affected by the job authority level of the job

Subsidized Household Services and Informal Employment: The Belgian Service Voucher Policy

Labour markets for personal and household services (PHS) are rife with informal employment. Some policies aim to combat informality in PHS with subsidized service vouchers, but their effects are poorly documented. This contribution evaluates the Belgian service vouchers (1) documenting their formalization effectiveness, and (2) accounting for the persistence of informal employment. To this end, we exploit several types of data and methods. A first analysis, based on Eurobarometer data, brings in evidence that informal PHS purchased were approximately halved under the policy introduced in 2001. Second, a discrete choice experiment shows that households prefer formal employment, including those that currently employ informally. Third, a survey in the Brussels metropolitan area shows that the persistence of informal employment lies in the relationship of informal employers with their domestic, from whom they are not willing to part. They nevertheless intend to switch to formal employment in the case of turnover. One thus expects partially delayed effects of formalization policies in general, and of the service voucher system in particular. Overall, these results are in line with Portes' claim that informality is facilitated by strong social relationships, and by differences in price and transaction costs

Spatial mismatch, education and language skills in the Brussels metropolis : an analysis = Mauvais appariement spatial, niveau de scolarité et connaissances linguistiques dans la métropole bruxelloise : une analyse = Ruimtelijke mismatch, scholing en talenkennis in de Brusselse metropool : een analyse

Spatial mismatch, where job seekers do not live where jobs can be found, can be an important barrier on the labour market, especially for vulnerable groups. In this study we look at the role that spatial mismatch plays in the Brussels metropolis. Using an improved benchmark, the distance-weighted spatial mismatch index, that also considers location-driven mismatch, we compare the spatial mismatch between the high- and low-skilled labour market and the labour market for the low-skilled with and without language skills. In the largest possible definition of the Brussels metropolis, results show a spatial mismatch of up to 50 % larger for the low-skilled, in comparison with the high-skilled. For the low-skilled without language skills, the spatial mismatch is 115 % higher than for the low-skilled with language skills. This difference is mainly due to a relative surplus of low-skilled job seekers (without language skills) in the Brussels Capital Region and a relative shortage in the first belt of municipalities around the Region

Insourcen, outsourcen of backsourcen? Het geval van de Brusselse gewestelijke administratie

Sinds de jaren 1980 zijn bedrijven en openbare besturen geneigd zich op hun kernactiviteiten te focussen en taken als IT, beveiliging, catering en schoonmaak uit te besteden. De jongste jaren zien we echter een omkering van deze tendens in vele organisaties, die sommige van deze activiteiten opnieuw intern gaan uitvoeren. Een proces dat we “backsourcing” noemen. Het doel van dit artikel is om te onderzoeken in welke mate activiteiten werden uitbesteed in de Brusselse gewestelijke besturen, wat de impact daarvan is op de betrokken medewerkers en organisaties en hoe de belanghebbenden staan tegenover een eventuele backsourcing van laaggekwalificeerde banen. In het kader van een multidisciplinair project van BSI voor Talent.Brussels hebben onze bevindingen aangetoond dat beslissingen over in- en outsourcing complex en multidimensionaal zijn en dat ze niet enkel gebaseerd mogen zijn op kostenoverwegingen.Since the 1980s, there has been a trend for businesses and public administrations to focus on their core activities, outsourcing tasks such as IT, security, catering and cleaning services. However, in recent years, many organisations have been reversing the trend by insourcing, or “backsourcing”, some of these activities. The aim of this article is to study the extent to which activities have been outsourced in the Brussels regional administrations, its impact on workers and organisations involved, and the attitudes of stakeholders towards a possible re-internalisation of low-skilled jobs. Based on a multidisciplinary BSI project for Talent.Brussels, our findings show that decisions about outsourcing and insourcing are complex and multidimensional, and that they should not be based solely on monetary cost considerations. Since the 1980s, there has been a trend for businesses and public administrations to focus on their core activities, outsourcing tasks such as IT, security, catering and cleaning services. However, in recent years, many organisations have been reversing the trend by insourcing, or “backsourcing”, some of these activities. The aim of this article is to study the extent to which activities have been outsourced in the Brussels regional administrations, its impact on workers and organisations involved, and the attitudes of stakeholders towards a possible re-internalisation of low-skilled jobs. Based on a multidisciplinary BSI project for Talent.Brussels, our findings show that decisions about outsourcing and insourcing are complex and multidimensional, and that they should not be based solely on monetary cost considerations.À partir des années 1980, les entreprises et les administrations publiques ont eu tendance à externaliser des tâches, notamment les services informatiques, de sécurité, de restauration et de nettoyage, afin de se concentrer sur leurs activités principales. Cependant, ces dernières années, de nombreuses organisations ont inversé cette tendance en internalisant ou réinternalisant (« backsourcing ») certaines des tâches en question. Le présent article vise à examiner le degré d’externalisation des activités dans les administrations régionales bruxelloises, l’incidence du phénomène sur les travailleurs et les organismes concernés, ainsi que le regard porté par les parties prenantes sur l’éventualité d’une réinternalisation d’emplois peu qualifiés. Nos constatations, qui s’appuient sur un projet pluridisciplinaire mené par le BSI pour talent.brussels, font apparaître que les décisions en matière d’externalisation et d’internalisation sont complexes et multidimensionnelles, et ne devraient pas se fonder uniquement sur des considérations pécuniaires

Externalisation, internalisation ou réinternalisation ? Le cas de l’administration régionale bruxelloise

À partir des années 1980, les entreprises et les administrations publiques ont eu tendance à externaliser des tâches, notamment les services informatiques, de sécurité, de restauration et de nettoyage, afin de se concentrer sur leurs activités principales. Cependant, ces dernières années, de nombreuses organisations ont inversé cette tendance en internalisant ou réinternalisant (« backsourcing ») certaines des tâches en question. Le présent article vise à examiner le degré d’externalisation des activités dans les administrations régionales bruxelloises, l’incidence du phénomène sur les travailleurs et les organismes concernés, ainsi que le regard porté par les parties prenantes sur l’éventualité d’une réinternalisation d’emplois peu qualifiés. Nos constatations, qui s’appuient sur un projet pluridisciplinaire mené par le BSI pour talent.brussels, font apparaître que les décisions en matière d’externalisation et d’internalisation sont complexes et multidimensionnelles, et ne devraient pas se fonder uniquement sur des considérations pécuniaires.Sinds de jaren 1980 zijn bedrijven en openbare besturen geneigd zich op hun kernactiviteiten te focussen en taken als IT, beveiliging, catering en schoonmaak uit te besteden. De jongste jaren zien we echter een omkering van deze tendens in vele organisaties, die sommige van deze activiteiten opnieuw intern gaan uitvoeren. Een proces dat we “backsourcing” noemen. Het doel van dit artikel is om te onderzoeken in welke mate activiteiten werden uitbesteed in de Brusselse gewestelijke besturen, wat de impact daarvan is op de betrokken medewerkers en organisaties en hoe de belanghebbenden staan tegenover een eventuele backsourcing van laaggekwalificeerde banen. In het kader van een multidisciplinair project van BSI voor Talent.Brussels hebben onze bevindingen aangetoond dat beslissingen over in- en outsourcing complex en multidimensionaal zijn en dat ze niet enkel gebaseerd mogen zijn op kostenoverwegingen.Since the 1980s, there has been a trend for businesses and public administrations to focus on their core activities, outsourcing tasks such as IT, security, catering and cleaning services. However, in recent years, many organisations have been reversing the trend by insourcing, or “backsourcing”, some of these activities. The aim of this article is to study the extent to which activities have been outsourced in the Brussels regional administrations, its impact on workers and organisations involved, and the attitudes of stakeholders towards a possible re-internalisation of low-skilled jobs. Based on a multidisciplinary BSI project for Talent.Brussels, our findings show that decisions about outsourcing and insourcing are complex and multidimensional, and that they should not be based solely on monetary cost considerations

Gender en carrière: de promotiekloof tussen vrouwen en mannen

De carrières van mannen en vrouwen blijven in belangrijke mate verschillen. In het publieke debat worden cijfers over het relatief kleine aantal vrouwen in hoge carriereniveaus vaak opgevat als bewijs voor genderschillen in promotiekansen. In dit artikel worden die promotiekansen van vrouwen en mannen op de Belgische arbeidsmarkt gekwantificeerd. Er wordt daarbij een ruim carriere-concept gehanteerd met, naast het loonniveau, ook oog voor het functieniveau en de mate van jobautoriteit waarover werknemers beschikken.status: publishe