Esther de Ruijter

Outsourcing of Domestic Tasks and Time-saving Effects

The increased participation of women in paid labor has changed the organization of domestic work. This article deals with a strategy to cope with remaining domestic duties; to what extent are domestic tasks outsourced, what are the main determinants, and does it indeed save time spent on housework? Five outsourcing options are investigated: domestic help, take-out meals, the microwave, the dishwasher, and the dryer. Hypotheses are formulated with respect to household resources, time availability, demand, and adaptability to new appliances. These hypotheses (except the adaptability hypothesis) assume that outsourcing saves time. This underlying assumption is tested as well. Using time budget data of the Dutch population in 1995, results show that especially households with higher incomes and double earners more often make use of all kinds of outsourcing options. Furthermore, the domestic help as well as the dishwasher saves time for women, whereas the microwave is time saving for men.

Trust Problems in Household Outsourcing

This article addresses the issue of domestic outsourcing. We view outsourcing decisions as the result of utility-maximizing behavior on the part of households. Earlier studies have shown that households with more time constraints, the most common reason for outsourcing, do not always outsource more. To account for these unexpected empirical findings, we provide a new explanation for outsourcing decisions that focuses on trust problems associated with outsourcing household and caring tasks. Trust problems are related to the competence, values, and possibilities as well as incentives for opportunism on the part of the supplier of the product or service. Using insights from the transaction cost approach, new hypotheses are formulated on the influence of the problem potential on the make-or-buy decision (whether or not to outsource a task). The embeddedness of the supplier is introduced as a way to generate trust, thus decreasing the problem potential.

Effects of Job Features on Domestic Outsourcing as a Strategy for Combining Paid and Domestic Work

This article examines the influence of job features on domestic outsourcing. The central hypothesis is that households use outsourcing more often if the partners are less available for domestic chores and caregiving because of job demands. Analyses of data on 795 Dutch couples show that if they work longer hours, there is more of a demand for the outsourcing of female tasks. Flexible availability resulting from autonomy and working at home facilitates the use of outsourcing alternatives. Working at home by women reduces the amount of formal child care; however, for men it increases the outsourcing of child care.This article examines the influence of job features on domestic outsourcing. The central hypothesis is that households use outsourcing more often if the partners are less available for domestic chores and caregiving because of job demands. Analyses of data on 795 Dutch couples show that if they work longer hours, there is more of a demand for the outsourcing of female tasks. Flexible availability resulting from autonomy and working at home facilitates the use of outsourcing alternatives. Working at home by women reduces the amount of formal child care; however, for men it increases the outsourcing of child care.

Trends in the Outsourcing of Domestic Work and Childcare in The Netherlands Compositional or Behavioral Change

Changes in the composition of households - especially the growing number of dual earners and singles - are often assumed to be associated with an increase in domestic outsourcing. In this article, trends in the outsourcing of household tasks (employing a domestic help and eating out) and the use of child daycare are analyzed with Dutch data (TBO 1980-2000, AVO 1983-1999). As it turns out, the observed increase over the past few decades in the outsourcing of household tasks can be explained by compositional changes. The supply of outsourcing services has not always grown accordingly. Trends in outsourcing are more than the total sum of individual demand factors. An example is the use of domestic help, which shows a net decrease. Our findings suggest that own domestic production has become more efficient, which has led to a reduction in the demand for outsourcing. The increase in the use of daycare for children can be explained as a general behavioral change, indicative of a shift in societal values concerning childcare. Parents are more inclined to hire childcare, irrespective of their personal characteristics. No systematic evidence was found for micro-level behavioral changes in outsourcing.Changes in the composition of households-especially the growing number of dual earners and singles-are often assumed to be associated with an increase in domestic outsourcing. In this article, trends in the outsourcing of household tasks (employing a domestic help and eating out) and the use of child daycare are analyzed with Dutch data (TBO 1980-2000, AVO 1983-1999). As it turns out, the observed increase over the past few decades in the outsourcing of household tasks can be explained by compositional changes. The supply of outsourcing services has not always grown accordingly. Trends in outsourcing are more than the total sum of individual demand factors. An example is the use of domestic help, which shows a net decrease. Our findings suggest that own domestic production has become more efficient, which has led to a reduction in the demand for outsourcing. The increase in the use of daycare for children can be explained as a general behavioral change, indicative of a shift in societal values concerning childcare. Parents are more inclined to hire childcare, irrespective of their personal characteristics. No systematic evidence was found for micro-level behavioral changes in outsourcing.

Measuring work activities and skill requirements of occupations: experiences from a European pilot study with a web-survey

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to evaluate a method for measuring work activities and skill requirements of 160 occupations in eight countries, used in EurOccupations, an EU‐FP6 project. Additionally, it aims to explore how the internet can be used for measuring work activities and skill requirements.Design/methodology/approach – For the 160 occupations, work activities were described in approximately ten tasks. Occupational experts and jobholders were invited to rate these tasks and to indicate the skill requirements, using a multilingual web‐survey. Experts were recruited through the networks of the project partners and jobholders through frequently visited websites in the eight countries. The effectiveness of the drafting of tasks descriptions, the recruitment of raters, and the measurement of skill requirements is evaluated.Findings – The project showed that tasks descriptions for a wide range of occupations and countries can be drafted relatively easy, using desk research. Conducting a web‐...

Working your Way in How Trust Problems and Social Embeddedness Affect the Behavior of Home Maintenance Suppliers

This article studies the influence of trust problems and social embeddedness on the behavior of home maintenance suppliers, especially (1) their efforts to convince households of their trustworthiness, and (2) whether or not they will behave opportunistically. Data were collected by means of a vignette experiment among 83 home maintenance suppliers, with a total of 165 vignettes. To some extent, the problem potential increases the efforts suppliers make to convince the household of their trustworthiness; a large transaction volume increases the amount of time spent on drawing up a quotation. Suppliers are more likely to behave opportunistically if more complex jobs are involved. Network embeddedness prevents opportunism and decreases the investments made in commitments, while dyadic embeddedness has no effect. Apparently, it is less important for suppliers to invest in dyadic relations than staying on good terms with people who can spread negative information about them to others.