Austerity HRM practices, work deterioration and possible recovery policies: A cross-European survey in the airport workplace

Abstract

This study investigates the austerity HRM practices implemented in European airports during the economic crisis, the subsequent deterioration of working conditions and possible recovery policies. The survey results indicate that austerity HRM practices, especially work flexibility, increased workload and workplace discrimination, are strongly and positively correlated with work deterioration. Moreover, the impact of the crisis is not homogeneous across airports, since public airports and those located in South European regions and in countries displaying a high Economic Crisis Index suffer the most. Notwithstanding, a combination of micro-, meso- and macro-policies has the potential to alleviate the detrimental effects of the crisis on airport workplaces.