Most theoretical and empirical contributions to research on non-standard employment have an American or British origin. Due to particular institutional models, categories and explanatory mechanisms, one should not uncritically compare the US or UK to other Western countries. Using Norway as an ‘ideal typical case’, we intend to show how characteristics of the regulative, national institutional environments influence firms' choices of employment arrangements. The main conclusions are that employment arrangements are social categories that differ between countries and that consequences of the regulative environment should be modelled through its effect on a firm's legal based exit costs. An implication of the discussion in the paper is that the dominant perspective of firms' choice of employment arrangements should be challenged.
International Journal of Comparative Labour Law and Industrial Relations