Evaluating the Effects of Globalization on Work: Building upon Awareness, Learning, and Knowledge

Phenomenological processes influence how one evaluates globalization, and consequently one’s attitudes toward it. The awareness of, learning about, and knowledge of complex problems have direct effects on how problems are evaluated and managed, even in contexts predominantly based on material interests. We analyze the perceived effects globalization has on work by looking at the attitudes and evaluations of labor union representatives in Finland (N = 334). We propose a tripartite phenomenological model of awareness, learning, and knowledge, and apply it in a crosssectional OLS regression model using 20 explanatory variables. Findings show significant associations for two variables, including employers and supervisors as information sources and effects of foreign branches. The model moderately explains the evaluations of the effects of globalization, despite the sample consisting of social classes with differing life-worlds. This suggests that union representatives’ attitudes toward globalization seem partly contingent on their individual, phenomenological attachment to global circumstances.