Discuss How Soft Capitalism Can Be Shown to Operate as a Form of ‘Self’ Capitalism in the Current Graduate Labour Market Analysing Three Illustrations.

1) Discuss how soft capitalism can be shown to operate as a form of ‘self’ capitalism in the current graduate labour market analysing three illustrations.

The basic idea behind soft capitalism, according to Larry Ray and Andrew Sayer (1999), is that; ‘economic success is held to lie with “soft” characteristics rather than straightforward technological or cost advantages and as for the “soft” characteristics themselves, emphasis is attached to culture, knowledge and creativity’. In Western societies there is a predominant ‘Me, Me, Me’ culture and through the use of soft capitalism, the human ‘self’ is now firmly at the centre of work. In this essay I am going to discuss and critically analyse how soft capitalism operates as a form of ‘self’ capitalism in the current graduate labour market. This will be done through the analysis of three examples; a job advertisement, a recruitment video and a newspaper article. Each of these mediums show how the soft characteristics of culture, knowledge and creativity are used by organisations as a means for economic success. Companies have acknowledged the contemporary self-centred attitude to life and as a consequence of this, employment is now promoted as a way for individuals to professionally maximise their ‘self’. With regards to the graduate labour market, various mediums have been introduced with the purpose of allowing graduates to creatively flaunt their inner ‘self’, assessment centres being such an example. Historically, organisations have had little concern for the human element of work, however a change in culture has resulted in a much more ‘soft’ attitude, with the human ‘self’ at the centre. The expectations of employees in Western societies are such that unless a ‘soft’ capitalism approach is adopted the organisation will be unlikely to have long term success. The graduate labour market is, typically, comprised of both males and females who are in their early twenties and have been educated to a high standard....