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Britta Holzberg

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PhD Student

Address:
Institute of Development Research and Development Policy
Ruhr-University Bochum
Universitätsstr. 105, Room 2.24
44789 Bochum
Germany

Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Fax: +49 (0)234 / 32-14294

Download information as: vCard

ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2648-3680

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Britta_Holzberg


Research Interests

  • Decent Work and Labour Standards in Global Production
  • (International) Human Resource Management
  • Corporate Social Responsibility and Business Ethics
  • Diversity Management
  • Europe, North Africa and the Middle East

PhD Thesis


What shapes the quality of employment in global production? Analyses on the suppliers’ perspective and decision-space in Egypt and Jordan

The Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations postulate that “decent work for all” shall be achieved worldwide until 2030. In order to achieve this goal, global labour standards are promoted by public and private actors intending to ensure a minimum standard of employment across the globe. The effectiveness of global standards is especially discussed in the context of global production networks where decent work deficits are a major challenge. Research shows that the complex interaction of global and local influences on suppliers leads to context- and business-specific employment outcomes that oftentimes deviate from global standards.
The PhD project aims to further dissect how global and local factors shape local suppliers’ employment practices. It studies the quality of employment in the export-oriented textiles and garment industries in Egypt and Jordan. A special focus is laid on the design of working time arrangements, remuneration systems and employer-employee relations. The projects’ main research questions are: What do local stakeholders understand by a good quality of employment? How do suppliers design their working time arrangements, remuneration systems and employer-employee relations? How can local understandings and employment practices be traced back to global and/or local influences? The PhD is conceptually rooted in the convergence-divergence debate in international business. The empirical analysis follows a multiple case study approach to compare understandings and employment practices between Egypt and Jordan, and between different nodes in the supply chain. Interviews with local stakeholders (suppliers, experts, workers) and a collection of documents inform the analysis. Research results are presented and discussed in three scientific papers.

Paper 1 (conceptual): Holzberg, B. (2019). Crossvergence of socially (ir)responsible employment practices in supplier firms, critical perspectives on international business, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print.
https://doi.org/10.1108/cpoib-11-2017-0076 or https://repub.eur.nl/pub/120762

Supervisors:
Prof. Dr. Uta Wilkens, Institute of Work Science, Ruhr-University Bochum
Prof. Dr. Peter Knorringa, International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam

Vita

since 2019:   Institute of Work Science, Chair for Work, Human Resources and Leadership, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
Teaching and research fellow
since 2016:   Institute of Development Research and Development Policy, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany (since 2013) and
International Institute of Social Studies, The Hague, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands (since 2016)
PhD candidate in International Development Studies
since 2013:   Freelance Management Consultant, Germany
Project Focus: Human Resource Management and Organisational Development (MENA region and Europe)
2010 ‑ 2013:   Roland Berger Strategy Consultants GmbH, Germany
Project focus: Social-political initiatives, HR Management, Gender Diversity, Project and Change Management (EU and Germany)
2003 ‑ 2009:   Philipps-Universität Marburg, Germany
Diplom in Business Administration
2007 ‑ 2008:   London School of Economics and Political Sciences, United Kingdom
MSc in Organisational and Social Psychology

Consultancy


  • Human Resource Management
  • Decent Work in Global Production
  • (Gender) Diversity Management
  • Organisational Development
  • Project and Change Management

Publications and Reports



Conferences and Research Colloquia


  • Holzberg, B. (2019). Working hours in the garment supply chain in Egypt and Jordan: Convergence to global standards?, Presentation, Research Cluster of the Institute of Development Research and Development Policy, Bochum, 10 September 2019.
  • Holzberg, B. (2019). Influence factors and HR practices in the textiles and garment industries in Egypt and Jordan, Presentation, Bochum-Paderborn PhD Colloquium, Paderborn, 21 March 2019.
  • Holzberg, B. (2018). What shapes the quality of work in Global Production – Analyses on the suppliers‘ perspective and decision-space in Egypt and Jordan, Presentation, 7th PhD Conference on International Development, Bochum (Germany), 8-9 November 2018.
  • Holzberg, B. (2016). Decent work and price competition in global production – the dilemma of mid-sized supplier firms, Presentation, 23rd International DAVO Congress, Tübingen (Germany), 8 October 2016.
  • Holzberg, B. (2016). Decent work and price competition in global production – the dilemma of mid-sized supplier firms, Presentation, Research Cluster of the Institute of Development Research and Development Policy, Bochum, 29 September 2016.
  • Holzberg, B. (2015). Labour Standards and Prize Competition in Global Production – the dilemma of mid-sized supplier firms in Egypt, Poster, 4th PhD Conference on International Development, Bochum (Germany), 24-25 September 2015.
  • Holzberg, B. (2014). Corporate Gender Diversity: A Business-Driven Approach to Gender Equality and Economic Development in Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and Tunisia, Presentation, International Association for Feminist Economics Annual Conference, Accra (Ghana), 27-29 June 2014.
  • Holzberg, B. (2014). Stadt, Land, Frau – Entwicklungstechnische Förderung ägyptischer Frauen in Abhängigkeit von Lebensumfeld und Bildungsstand, Presentation, Convention of the Interdisciplinary Work Council on Development, Mainz (Germany), 17 January 2014.

Teaching and Mentoring

Teaching:

  • Lecture: ‘Foundations of Personnel and Leadership Research’, B.Sc. Management and Economics, Ruhr-University Bochum, Winter Term 2019/2020
  • Lecture: ‘Becoming a coach’, MSc Business Psychology and Consulting, FOM University, Düsseldorf, Winter Term 2019/2020
  • Guest lecture: ‘Introduction to Qualitative Data Processing (Software: MAXQDA)’, Empiry Module, Faculty of Social Sciences, Ruhr-University Bochum, Summer Term 2016
  • Seminar: ‘Qualitative Research Methods’, MA in Development Management, Institute of Development Research and Development Policy, Ruhr-University Bochum, Summer Term 2015

Mentoring / Theses supervision:

  • Namuli, Proscovia (2015): Family Planning in Mukono District, Uganda – Knowledge, Perceptions and Determinants of Contraceptive Usage, MA in Development Management, Institute of Development Research and Development Policy, 2015

How to contact us

Institute of Development Research and Development Policy
Ruhr University Bochum

Room 2.04
Universitaetsstr. 105
D-44789 Bochum

E-Mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Phone:   +49-(0)234 / 32-22418
or   32-22243
Fax:   +49-(0)234 / 32-14-294

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Latest Publications

Sadik-Zada, E.R. Gatto, A. (2023). Frontiers and Best Practices in Bio, Circular, and Green Growth and Eco-Innovation.
available online

Sadik-Zada, E.R., Gatto, A., Weißnicht, Y. (2024). Back to the Future: Revisiting the Perspectives on nuclear fusion and juxtaposition to existing energy sources. Energy, Volume 290, 129150. 
available online

Britta Niklas, The effect of South African wine certifications on price premiums and marginal costs: A two-stage hedonic approach, Economic Modelling Volume 132, March 2024
available online

More information: "Publications / New Publications"

IEE on Tour

Feb 26.2. - 1.3.2024
Prof. Wilhelm Löwenstein, Gabriele Bäcker, Muhammad Saleh, Akua Martinson, Natalia Zakharchenko, Irene Among, Simon Rahn 
ADAPTED Annual Meeting, Centre d'Économie de la Sorbonne, Paris 1 University, France

Nov 13.11. - 14.11.2023
Simon Rahn
Development Dialogue Konferenz (DD19), International Institute of Social Studies (ISS), The Hague, NL

May 28.5. - 31.5.2023
Britta Niklas
Greece, Crete, 2nd annual conference of the European Association of Wine Economists (EUAWE)

Apr 16.4. - 22.4.2023
Irene Among
South Africa, Cape Twon, UWC, Lecture

Apr 3.4. - 7.4.2023
Irene Among
UK, Studies Conference

Mar 18.3. - 4.4.2023:
Britta Niklas
South Africa, Cape Twon, UWC, Lecture

Feb 11.02. - 27.02.2023:
Wilhelm Löwenstein
South Africa, Cape Twon, UWC, Lecture

Jan 07.01. -25.01.2023:
Elkhan Sadik-Zada
South Africa, Cape Town, UWC, Lecture