Working in large food retailers in France and the USA: The key role of institutions

Philippe Askenazy (1, 2) , Jean-Baptiste Berry (3) , Françoise Carré (4) , Sophie Prunier-Poulmaire (5, 6) , Chris Tilly (7)

1 PSE - Paris-Jourdan Sciences Economiques
2 PSE - Paris School of Economics
3 Institut national de la statistique et des études économiques (INSEE)
4 UMass Amherst - University of Massachusetts [Amherst]
5 UPN - Université Paris Nanterre
6 LAPPS - Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale
7 UCLA - University of California [Los Angeles]

Despite numerous similarities between the food retail sectors of France and the USA, there are significant contrasts in the jobs, and in particular the modal job, cashier. Notably, there are differences in pay, productivity and physical working position. Using the concept of ‘national-sectoral models’ of employment practices, this research draws on in-depth, interview-based case studies of food retailers in France and the USA, as well as standard data sources, to probe the reasons for these differences. Cross-national differences in wage-setting institutions, along with other institutional differences linked to family roles and disparate shopping cultures in the two countries, are key causes. These differences play out in interaction with distinct labour supply patterns, themselves based in part on differing institutions regarding reproduction of the labour force.

Keywords: cashiers; entry level jobs; job quality; labour market; labour process; retail; sector; societal effect; wages

Domains: Psychology

Philippe Askenazy, Jean-Baptiste Berry, Françoise Carré, Sophie Prunier-Poulmaire, Chris Tilly. Working in large food retailers in France and the USA: The key role of institutions. Work, Employment and Society, 2012, pp.588-605. ⟨hal-01058686⟩