MANAGEMENT THEORIES
Impact on work of management theories and technology
SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT: F.W. TAYLOR 1911
Workers want high wages, managers want high productivity and low cost. Scientific management increases productivity and pays piece rates. Without this, workers will restrict and have an easy life. Employers should employ workers who accept control.
HUMAN RELATIONS: MAYO 1920'S
Work group influences affect attitudes and behaviour. Piece ates don't work because of social as well as economic needs, but attentive management can reduce conflict and increase productivity.
FORDISM
After Henry Ford in the 20's. It's assembly line working. Blauner said the work is fragented, deskilled and alienating.
POST FORDISM AND THE NEW TECHNOLOGY
- New work resulting from new technology:
- Computer Aided Manufacture (CAM), eg. robots.
- Computer Aided Design (CAD), testing things before they are built.
- Information processing in offices and at home, e.g. for communication, information storage and retrieval and calculations.
- Workers can be replaces and new products sold in new markets, eg. Benetton in the 80's, combined traditional production methods with computerised information processing to sell non-mass-produced clothes in shops throughout Europe.
Evaluation of Organisation Theories
- *Taylorism still dominates the work of many, particularly Marxist Sociologists.
- Taylorism has been criticized, but remains an influence. Tasks are specifically designed and workers strictly controlled. eg Ford in the 20's and Macdonalds today.
THE FLEXIBLE WORKFORCE
Post Fordism. Numerical Flexibility means the core workforce is kept to a minimum, but can expand when necessary, with 'peripheral' workers, eg. part-time, agency, temps of flexi-time. Functional flexibility, means workers have wide-ranging skills and can do a variety of tasks, eg. car workers not deskilled to one thing.
Evaluation
- Employers like flexible workforce as reduces labour costs.
- Some think non-deskilled jobs are more interesting.
- Others say flexibility has led to job loss, insecurity. Casual and part time work means more demands eg. Sunday working.
Extra Information
Present positive and negative sides and come to a conclusion.