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Working in Silicon Valley: Economic and Legal Analysis of a High-velocity Labor Market
This work examines the relationship between the rapid technological and economic growth characteristic of high technology districts and their distinct labor market institutions - short job tenures, rapid turnover, flat firm hierarchies, weak internal labor markets, high use of temporary labor, unusual uses of independent contracting, little unionization, unusual employee organization (e.g., chat groups, and ethnic organization), unequal income, minimal employment discrimination litigation, flexible compensation (especially stock options), and heavy use of immigrants on short-term visas. The author suggests that while these distinctive labor market institutions are somewhat unorthodox and may present legal problems, they play essential roles in high growth.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published May 31, 2001
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March 11, 2017
I honestly think everyone who works in software should read this book. The tech job market isn't really like any other one. Like many markets, tech workers have few long term benefits and have few guarantees of employment, but unlike most relatively temporary workers, tech workers have high salaries and generally prefer this state of affairs. This book goes a little in the why of that, but more interestingly, it explores the numerous effects of this on: non-competes, trade secrets, labor organization, discrimination, entrepreneurship, and legislative policy related thereof.
As an example, because of what the author describes as a "high-velocity" labor market, discrimination gets enforced less through lack of promotion (which is what current law largely targets) but through a lack of hiring in the first place. Similarly, the lack of labor organizing is not just because tech workers are treated relatively well and because of social class issues, but because the temporary nature of employment makes it difficult to work with labor law.
I should also add that while it's certainly an academic work, it's quite readable. Also, it's over a decade old at this point (a lifetime in Silicon Valley) but not too much major has changed as far as I can tell that would affect its conclusions.
As an example, because of what the author describes as a "high-velocity" labor market, discrimination gets enforced less through lack of promotion (which is what current law largely targets) but through a lack of hiring in the first place. Similarly, the lack of labor organizing is not just because tech workers are treated relatively well and because of social class issues, but because the temporary nature of employment makes it difficult to work with labor law.
I should also add that while it's certainly an academic work, it's quite readable. Also, it's over a decade old at this point (a lifetime in Silicon Valley) but not too much major has changed as far as I can tell that would affect its conclusions.
Displaying 1 of 1 review