Upgrading service delivery and employment conditions through indirect insertion in global value chains

Abstract

The study of labour in global value chains is so far largely concentrated on the workers directly involved in the sequential chain structures. Limited research has been conducted on how global value chains impact on the indirect employment that is generated through the integration of places in global value chains. This article examines how new demand for security services from international client firms in Mumbai impacts on the quality standards and job contents of security guards. Using empirical data, this article highlights the increasing differentiation in terms of job contents and benefits for security guards. The emergence of new clients for security services has increased the need for trained, educated personnel to handle multiple, and sophisticated tasks leading to these jobs being better paid and more skilled. Indirect insertion in global value chains leads to upgrading of low-end support services, but do not offer new opportunities to those who are traditionally involved in these services.