Castell distinguishes between people who become a strategic and intergal part of the networks of capitalism and those who remain outside the network-although still needed by capital.The distinction hinges on the informational capicity of labour-hence he uses two terms for these primary and secondary groups:
1) Self-programmable labour: those who are retraniable and adaptive;
2) Generic labour: those who are exchangable and disposable.
In some respects this echoes models of labour flexibility-in particular the distinction between the core workforce and the periphery. However, it differs in one important respect: Castells is not concerned with the relationship between employees and organisations, but with the relationship between labour and value chains. This is a key distinction because it means that position of the employee in the workplace is of less importance than the location of labour in the network. And the essential factor that influences the centrality of that labour is its informational capicity: it is ability to add value through information processing.
1) Self-programmable labour: those who are retraniable and adaptive;
2) Generic labour: those who are exchangable and disposable.
In some respects this echoes models of labour flexibility-in particular the distinction between the core workforce and the periphery. However, it differs in one important respect: Castells is not concerned with the relationship between employees and organisations, but with the relationship between labour and value chains. This is a key distinction because it means that position of the employee in the workplace is of less importance than the location of labour in the network. And the essential factor that influences the centrality of that labour is its informational capicity: it is ability to add value through information processing.
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