Contact Us
linkedin
twitter
  • ABOUT SSL
    • History
    • Contributors
  • DISCIPLINES
    • Anthropology
    • Economics
    • History
    • Philosophy
    • Political Science
    • Social Psychology
    • Sociology
  • SPECIAL COLLECTIONS
    • Evolving Values for a Capitalist World
    • Frontier Issues in Economic Thought
    • Galbraith Series
    • Global History
  • NEWSLETTER

The Transformation of Work Revisited: The Limits of Flexibility in American Manufacturing

  1. Home
  2. >>
  3. Frontier Issues in Economic...
  4. >>
  5. Volume 4: The Changing...
  6. >>
  7. The Transformation of Work...
The Transformation of Work Revisited: The Limits of Flexibility in American Manufacturing
Author(s)Vallas, Steven; Beck, John
AbstractIn theory, post-Fordist work processes achieve flexibility by using new information technologies and less- hierarchical forms of management to respond to rapid changes in product markets. The discussion of post-Fordist regimes is part of a long-standing debate about the relationship between technology and the skill content of production jobs. Drawing on case study material, this paper examines the experiences of shop floor workers when new technology and new management practices were introduced. Rather than greater flexibility as predicted by post-Fordism, it finds a trend toward greater standardization and displacement of discretion from craft-based to engineering-based knowledge.
Pages339-361
IssueNo
ArticleAccess to Article Summary Article
SourceSocial Problems
VolumeNo43
PubDateAugust 1996
ISBN_ISSN0037-7791

Frontier Issues in Economic Thought

  • Volume 1: A Survey of Ecological Economics
  • Volume 2: The Consumer Society
  • Volume 3: Human Well-Being and Economic Goals
  • Volume 4: The Changing Nature of Work
  • Volume 5: The Political Economy of Inequality
  • Volume 6: A Survey of Sustainable Development


Boston University | ECI | Contact Us

Copyright Notification: The Social Science Library (SSL) is for distribution in a defined set of countries. The complete list may be found here. Free distribution within these countries is encouraged, but copyright law forbids distribution outside of these countries.