학술논문

Empowerment As a Trojan Horse: New Systems of Work Organization in the North American Automobile Industry
Document Type
redif-article
Source
Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, Economic and Industrial Democracy. 22(4):517-541
Subject
Language
English
Abstract
While new models of work orgaization (lean production) in the automobile industry have been portrayed as a 'democratic'break with Fordism, we find considerable parallels with those traditional patterns of labour control they were intended to supplant. Far from understanding these as exemplars of 'democratic Taylorism', the article identities spwific company responses to problems associated with declining productivity and competitiveness. Moreover, the article argues that new models of work organization associated with lean production, far from heralding empowerment, are more conerned with asserting management control in varying ways in different companies.