The concept of transitional labour markets : a theoretical and methodological inventory

The aim of this article is to critically assess the concept of transitional labour markets (TLM) and its scientific importance. It seeks to provide a stock-taking of the methodological tools and discuss future theoretical and methodological perspectives. Since the TLM concept is by definition interdisciplinary and multi-methodological in nature, we need to ask about the extent to which this kind of openness is appropriate. The methodological review will go beyond the traditional schism of qualitative vs. quantitative research by including additional dimensions such as exploration, causal modelling, and questions regarding research design and data quality. The sources supporting this "TLM inventory" are the essential publications (books, working papers, and journal articles) of the two major research projects explicitly based on the TLM approach: TRANSLAM and TLM.NET. The paper concludes with a number of suggestions how to enhance the TLM concept in theoretical and methodological terms.