Using your ties to get a worse job? The differential effects of social networks on quality of employment in Colombia

Deguilhem, Thibaud and Berrou, Jean-Philippe and Combarnous, François (2017): Using your ties to get a worse job? The differential effects of social networks on quality of employment in Colombia.

Abstract

This article examines the effect of social networks by investigating how mobilizing family, friendship or kindship ties in job searches affects the quality of employment (QoE) using a mixed approach. Drawing from socioeconomic literature on the segmented labor market, the authors propose an original and multidimensional measure of job quality and a fruitful estimation of the effect of social networks on QoE that allows for dealing with complex inter-groups heterogeneity. Using the Great Integrated Household Survey (GIHS) and a sample on Bogota's workers in 2013, they provide empirical support that the use of ties is negatively correlated with the QoE for those who are vulnerable. Likewise, the use of social relations is not significant for protected workers. Complemented by focus groups interviews, these results raise questions about the difference prevailing in relational practices between necessity networks for precarious workers and opportunity networks for protected workers in the Colombian capital.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: Social networks, Quality of employment, Finite Mixture Regression Model, Mixed method, Colombia
• Subjects: C - Mathematical and Quantitative Methods > C1 - Econometric and Statistical Methods and Methodology: General > C14 - Semiparametric and Nonparametric Methods: General; J - Labor and Demographic Economics > J4 - Particular Labor Markets > J42 - Monopsony ; Segmented Labor Markets; L - Industrial Organization > L1 - Market Structure, Firm Strategy, and Market Performance > L14 - Transactional Relationships ; Contracts and Reputation ; Networks; O - Economic Development, Innovation, Technological Change, and Growth > O5 - Economywide Country Studies > O54 - Latin America ; Caribbean; Z - Other Special Topics > Z1 - Cultural Economics ; Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology > Z13 - Economic Sociology ; Economic Anthropology ; Social and Economic Stratification

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