Changing work organization in small manufacturers: Challenges for economicdevelopment

This review article examines the growing literature on the changing employm ent practices of small and medium-sized manufacturers. Specifically, the au thors examine the literature in three areas: (a) hiring practices, (b) empl oyment security and retention, and (c) career ladders. Observers disagree a bout the extent to which restructuring has taken place in smaller firms, th e nature of workplace change, and the impact of this change on employees an d firms. The policy arena is just as contentious; a host of different strat egies have been proposed to provide employment opportunities in manufacturi ng, particularly for low-income populations. By synthesizing the research t o date and evaluating the key debates in this area, this literature review will assist economic development researchers and practitioners in making th e leap to workforce issues.