Marco Teórico referente a la Población de Estudio

II IIIN IIIM IV V Total

L1 77 11 6 1 5 100

It might be expected that L1 would exactly match SEG 1.1 (‘employers in large establishments’) and it can be seen that for the most part it does. However, while the NS-SEC consistently allocates all employers in large organisations (except

professionals) to L1, SEG was not quite so consistent. Some large employers were placed in SEG 5.1 (‘ancillary workers and artists’).

SEG

1.1 5.1 Total

L1 97 3 100

5.6 L2 Higher managerial occupations

Positions in which there is a ‘service relationship’ with the employer, and which involve general, higher level or executive planning and supervision of operations on behalf of the employer.

Conceptual and operational issues. In terms of an employment relations approach, higher managers (along with higher professionals) have a ‘service relationship’ with their employer, as distinct from a ‘labour contract’. As we saw earlier, the service relationship is one in which employees are required to exercise delegated authority, specialisedknowledge or expertise in the interests of their employer.

Chapter 5 The National Statistics Socio-economic Classification: Origins, Development and Use

28

The interim version of the NS-SEC retained the distinction between managers in large and small establishments which SEG applied but which SC did not recognise. In terms of an employment relations approach, initially in the interim NS-SEC we followed Goldthorpe in deeming all managers in large organisations to be equivalent to senior managers and administrators in Class 1. In fact what employment relations approaches (and we assume SEG) really wish to distinguish is higher from lower level managerial positions, not whether a manager is in a large or small organisation. This conceptual distinction between higher and lower level managers is operationalised more satisfactorily in the final version of NS- SEC. Because SOC2000 has a more refined and restricted definition of managerial occupations, we were able to identify some managerial occupational unit groups (OUGs) that are in effect wholly or mainly occupied by junior or middle managers. Hence, these OUGs are now allocated to L5 (lower managerial) regardless of organisation size. This is more in keeping with the underlying conception.

It must be recognised that, as in the case of L1, the operational distinction by size is always faute de mieux. As Goldthorpe (1997:47) notes: ‘while small enterprises may not have many higher level managers, large enterprises are of course likely to have many lower level managers’. The NS-SEC is thus rather better operationalised for managers using the new method.

Continuity issues. The NS-SEC attempts to place all higher managers in L2. SC operated in similar fashion, most managers being in Social Class II. Thus, 97 per cent of cases in L2 are common to Social Class II, ‘managerial and technical

occupations’. However, some (very senior) managerial positions in the civil service were in Social Class I (‘professional etc occupations’) and senior officers in the armed forces were separately treated and analysed in SC.

Social Class

I II Armed Total

Forces

L2 * 97 2 100

In this and all subsequent tables * = Less than 1%

L2 approximates but does not entirely match SEG 1.2 (‘managers in large establishments’). Like SC, SEG had some managers in a special armed forces category (SEG 16), in order to separately identify this group. The NS-SEC has not followed this practice because of the small numbers involved (see ONS 2005). Members of the armed forces included in L2 are all officers in OUG 1171. The 3 per cent of L2 that were in SEG 2.2 (‘managers in small establishments’) are accounted for by the changed operation of the organisation size rule for managers.

SEG

1.2 2.2 16 Total

L2 95 3 2 100

5.7 L3 Higher professional occupations

L3.1 ‘Traditional’ professional employees – that is, previously defined as professionals by social class and SEG

L3.2 ‘New’ professional employees – that is, not previously defined as professionals by social class and SEG

L3.3 ‘Traditional’ self-employed professionals – that is, previously defined as professionals by social class and SEG

L3.4 ‘New’ self-employed professionals – that is, not previously defined as professionals by social class and SEG

Positions, whether occupied by employers, the self-employed, managers or employees, covering all types of higher

professional work. Employees in these groups have a ‘service relationship’ with their employer.

Conceptual and operational issues. Goldthorpe’s schema does not distinguish between higher professionals and higher managers. Both categories are in one class in which employees are regulated by a ‘service relationship’ rather than a ‘labour contract’. Thus much of what we have said about employment regulation for higher managers in L2 applies equally to higher professionals. However, the NS-SEC retains the SEG and SC distinctions between managers and professionals for reasons of continuity and flexibility. We are also aware that some users will wish to analyse managers and professionals separately. The issue as to whether, in fact, managers and professionals are in the same class position is an open one (see for example Savage

et al, 1992, Butler (ed.) 1995 and Mills and Evans 2003).

Purely for continuity reasons, we follow SEG in making a distinction in L3 between self-employed and salaried professionals. However, it should be noted that for

professionals independent practice and salaried employment are often indistinguishable, and true self-employment is difficult to identify.

Similarly, and as is currently the case with SC, an OUG which has been designated as professional in the NS-SEC is professional regardless of employment status. Thus, for example, a supervisor who is also a scientist is classified as a professional (in L3) and not as a supervisor in L6.

Continuity issues. Category L3 is sub-divided for reasons of continuity with the former social classifications. L3.1 and L3.3 comprise those professional positions that have ‘traditionally’

The National Statistics Socio-economic Classification: Origins, Development and Use Chapter 5

29 been treated as such by SEG and SC. However, the NS-SEC

recognises that other positions now share the employment relations of this group – computing professionals and

management accountants, for example. We have distinguished these ‘new’ professionals from the ‘traditional’ professionals by placing them in L3.2 or L3.4.

The tables below show that category L3.1 is continuous with Social Class I (‘professional occupations’) and SEG 4

(‘professional employees’) and this is also true for 98 per cent of L3.3. Those in L3.2 and L3.4 were all in Social Class II (‘managerial and technical occupations’).

Social Class