Cash-in-Hand Work The Underground Sector and the Hidden Economy of Favours [Hardcover]

Uncovering how cash-in-hand economies are composed of not only the underground sector (work akin to formal employment conducted for profit-motivated purposes), but also a hidden economy of favours more akin to mutual aid, this book displays the need to transcend conventional market-oriented readings of cash-in-hand work and radically rethink whether seeking its eradication through tougher regulations is always appropriate. It argues for a variegated policy approach that recognizes these two distinct forms of cash-in-hand work and which tailors policy accordingly.Introduction PART I: EXAMINING CASH-IN-HAND WORK: THEORY AND METHODS Theorising Cash-in-Hand Work Methodologies for Measuring Cash-in-Hand Work PART II: SOCIO-SPATIAL VARIATIONS IN THE NATURE OF CASH-IN-HAND WORK Employment Status and Cash-in-Hand Work Gender and Cash-in-Hand Work Geographical Variations in Cash-in-Hand Work PART III: EVALUATING THE IMPLICATIONS OFTHE POLICY OPTIONS Deterring Cash-in-Hand Work A Laissez-Faire Approach Harnessing Cash-in-Hand Work Conclusions

'This is a concise, well-written and researched book, which clearly outlines the importance of cash-in-hand work and paid mutual favours in contemporary society. Williams effectively addresses knowledge gaps in existing literature and the book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of cash-in-hand work in a range of different contexts and in the lives of different individuals.' - Madeleine Leonard, Queen's University of Belfast, UK

COLIN C. WILLIAMS is Professor of Work Organization at the University of Leicester Management Centre. His recent books include Community Self-Help; Alternative Economic Spaces; Poverty and the Third Way and Informal Employment in the Advanced Economies.