Abstract
This study sought to explore labour market flexibility attained by a case multinational firm in Zimbabwe, which utilize peripheral work arrangements. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect data from eleven research participants who had worked for the multinational firm in Zimbabwe for at least two years. The study found that the case multinational firm in Zimbabwe achieves labour market flexibility by utilizing peripheral work arrangements. A majority of the study's research participants indicated that the peripheral labour segment allows the case multinational firm in Zimbabwe to achieve numerical flexibility, wage flexibility and functional flexibility. Only a few research participants indicated that there are hidden costs that accompany labour market flexibility. These participants indicated that functional and numerical flexibility attained through utilizing peripheral work arrangements is offset by high training costs and labour turnover, respectively. Hence, as it is, the case multinational firm in Zimbabwe achieves the labour market flexibility that it desires by utilizing peripheral work arrangements. The current study recommends that the case multinational firm in Zimbabwe should be aware of the hidden costs that are linked to labour market flexibility. The study also recommends that managers at the case multinational firm in Zimbabwe should respect peripheral workers' rights to fair labour standards and device mechanisms to reduce costs, which are linked to labour market flexibility.