Phillip Brown Cardiff University

 Rise of Mass Higher Education/Wealth of Talent But  Stagnant/Declining Social Mobility;  Widening Inequalities within Occupational Groups (winner-takes-all markets);  Some Evidence (US/Japan; US Occupations)

 Shift in understanding of ‘knowledge’ economy within business – McKinsey Consulting, etc.  ‘It’s more important to get great talent, since the differential value created by the most talented knowledge workers is enormous’ (Ed Michaels, et al. McKinsey Consultants, 2001).  ‘The post-industrial society, in its initial logic is a meritocracy. Differential status and differential income are based on technical skills and higher education.’ (Daniel Bell, The Coming of Post-Industrial Society, 1973).

 Employability in a Global Economy;  A Meritocracy of Talent?;  Conceptual Starting Point: Positional Conflict Theory;  An Agenda for Research

 Methodological Nationalism  Duality of Employability – Absolute (Skills Upgrading; Hard/Soft Currencies, etc.) Relative (How One Stands in Relation to Others.  The ‘Relative’ is Now Global;  It’s Now a Competition Based on Quality and Price (Global Auction).

 TNCs: Widening Access versus Widening World;  Global League Tables ‘Recruit the Best of the Best’;  Reinforced by Reputational Capital of Universities;  People as Product within Knowledge Organisations.

 ? Ascription  Meritocracy  Ideology of Meritocracy  Ideology of Performocracy (both based on ‘achievement’);  Neo-Liberalism and the Market for Talent;  Markets Reward ‘Success’ Not Fairness;

 Sociological Critique of Positional Consensus (Baby/Bath Water!)  Positional Conflict: Exclusionary Tactics of Elites;  Avoid ‘Content Free’ Reproduction;  Restructuring of (Re)Production of Middle Classes in Comparative Perspective

 What does the ‘war for talent’ tell us about the (re)production of class and gender relations in education and employment?  What does it tell us about positional competition and the middle classes from a comparative perspective?

 To undertake a comparative study of the social construction of ‘talent’;  To investigate the relationship between ‘talent’ and ‘meritocracy’ as understood by university students and leading employers;  To assess whether ‘talent’ is understood, nurtured and rewarded differently in Britain and France;  To examine the relationship between education and the recruitment of elites in different national contexts;  To contribute to the development of new concepts and theoretical insights required to account for the changing relationship between education, jobs and rewards in cross-national perspective.

 Is there evidence of an International Convergence around the War for Talent?  Are those defined as ‘talented’ treated differently in terms of special schooling, career tracks, etc.?  How do the proportions of those deemed to be ‘talented’ vary in different contexts?  Is what you need to know to be talented the same in different countries?  Is talent defined and rewarded differently in various countries?  Do women need to be more ‘talented’ than men in Britain or France to have their talents recognised?

 Interviews with 10 leading employers (5 from each country) matched by sector (legal profession, civil service or investment banking).  Interviews with 40 final year undergrads (20 from each country) from elite universities aiming for these careers.  Plus, background research on the social structure of competition in Britain and France.