ABSTRACT

Over 61% of the world’s population lives and works in the informal economic sector. However, workers in the informal economy are conspicuous by their relative absence in work psychology research and practice. Policy agendas inspired by economic research often combine skilled and unskilled workers into a single category, lacking the voice of the poor worker and a psychological understanding of work in the informal sector. Using grassroots-level field data from highly skilled artisans in rural India, this study unearths the person-centric inner experiences of informal work, and examines the psychological foundations of Decent Work in a heretofore unexamined population of workers in the informal economy. Using inductive and abductive approaches, results reveal the affective, attentional, task and culturally-embedded contextual characteristics of work in the informal economy, along with the psychological nuance behind key tenets of economic ideas around decency and choice in Decent Work. These experiences reveal core facets of well-being in the world of work in the informal economy, and an operational definition of psychologically sustainable work that is aligned with local values, aspirations and capabilities. The paper concludes with policy recommendations for incorporating psychology and the study’s evidence-based findings into the International Labour Organization's Decent Work agenda.

摘要

世界上超过 61% 的人口在非正规经济部门生活和工作。然而，非正规经济中的工人在工作心理学研究和实践中的相对缺位是显着的。受经济研究启发的政策议程往往将熟练工人和非熟练工人归为一个类别，缺乏贫困工人的发言权和对非正规部门工作的心理理解。本研究利用印度农村高技能工匠的基层实地数据，挖掘了以人为中心的非正规工作的内在体验，并检验了迄今为止未经审查的非正规经济工人群体中体面工作的心理基础。使用归纳法和溯因法，结果揭示了情感、注意力、非正规经济中工作的任务和文化嵌入的背景特征，以及围绕体面工作中的体面和选择的经济理念的关键原则背后的心理细微差别。这些经验揭示了非正规经济中劳动世界福祉的核心方面，以及与当地价值观、愿望和能力相一致的心理可持续工作的操作定义。本文最后提出了将心理学和研究的循证调查结果纳入国际劳工组织的体面劳动议程的政策建议。以及符合当地价值观、愿望和能力的心理可持续工作的操作定义。本文最后提出了将心理学和研究的循证调查结果纳入国际劳工组织的体面劳动议程的政策建议。以及符合当地价值观、愿望和能力的心理可持续工作的操作定义。本文最后提出了将心理学和研究的循证调查结果纳入国际劳工组织的体面劳动议程的政策建议。