Lawrence Root is a professor in University of Michigan's School of Social Work. His research and practice have focused on the intersection of employment and social welfare. He has directed programs and published in the areas of fringe benefits and social policy, employee assistance programs, aging and work, work-family flexibility, employment issues among low-income individuals, and international labor. From 1993 to 2008, he directed the University's Institute of Labor and Industrial Relations (subsequently re-organized as the Institute for Research on Labor, Employment and the Economy). During that time, he worked extensively with union-management joint programs and, with colleagues, developed Institute programs, such as “Urban Entrepreneurship” and “Labor and Global Change.” Within the University, he chaired of the President’s Committee on Labor Standards and Human Rights, which addressed sweatshop conditions in the apparel industry.
Recent international work has included projects developing labor-management committees in Chinese companies and developing methods for assessing labor standards as a part of trade agreements. This work has been funded by grants from the U.S. Department of Labor and the Department of State. Most recently he has been working on developing educational and research opportunities in India.
Research Interests
Social welfare/employment, services in the workplace, work-family, and cross-national labor policy/practices.
Contact Information
Education
- 1980 PhD Social Service AdministrationUniversity of Chicago, IL
- 1971 MSS Community Organizations/Social PlanningBryn Mawr College, PA
- 1968 AB Philosophy/ReligionHaverford College, PA
Activities
Publications
Honors and Awards
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2016 | Distinguished Alumni, Bryn Mawr's Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research |
| 2002 | University of Michigan Regent's Medal for distinguished service on the Presidential Search Advisory Committee |
| 1999 | Computerworld Smithsonian Laureate, University of Michigan's UAW-Ford University collaboration |
Presentations
| Year | Description |
|---|---|
| 2002 | Root, L., Young, A., & Rudd, E. (2002, May). The Sylvania plant-overtime in the industrial midwest. Presented at the Sloan Centers Work and Family Conference, San Francisco, CA. |
| 2002 | Root, L. (2002, January). International labor standards: Universities, NGOs, and the U.S. debate on sweatshops. Presented at the Forum on Industrial Relations and Labour Policies in a Globalizing World, Peking University, Beijing. |
| 2003 | Root, L. (2003, June). The policy context of U.S. employment and social welfare provisions. Presented at Capital University, Beijing. |
| 2003 | Root, L. (2003, June). The policy context of U.S. employment and social welfare provisions. Presented at East China College of Law and Economics, Shanghai. |
| 2003 | Root, L. (2003, July). Workforce diversity in the U.S. and in Europe. Presented at the international colloquium, Chateau de la Bretesche, France. |