Job Design and Technology: Taylorism vs. Anti-Taylorism (Routledge Advances in Management and Business Studies, 4)

183 Pages·1997·1.23 MB·English

by  Hans Pruijt

JOB DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
Recent trends like lean production and McDonaldization indicate that Taylorism is a
persistent, underlying principle of many organizations. Despite global competition and
the need for speed, flexibility and quality, still the principle of Taylorism remains in the
contemporary workplace. Moreover, information technology is often being used in ways
that reinforce Taylorist patterns. For some this may be a fact of life. Hans D.Pruijt argues
that this is not the case.
There is a countermovement, particularly in North-West Europe where viable
alternatives are being pursued. But, a systematic analysis of the resulting change of anti-
Taylorist practice at shop-floor level has been lacking. Job Design and Technology fills
this gap by analyzing 150 cases of anti-Taylorist initiatives in Scandinavia, the UK, the
Netherlands and Germany.
An example of anti-Taylorist principles working towards job enrichment can be seen
in Germany; it shows the role of state policy, research and consultancy in an experiment
at Bosch where assembly workers learned testing skills. This was not through training,
but through the design of the labor process itself, by creating “working structures with
educational relevance.” This implied that rather than an assembly line, there would be
teamwork. Workstations had variable task content to accommodate different stages of
learning; tasks overlapped so that workers learned from each other; jobs were rotated to
allow freedom to maneuvre. This is one case where anti-Taylorism works towards job
enrichment.
The analysis shows that it is possible, with monumental effort and ingenuity, to
achieve real change in the workplace. The case histories show this. However a notable
proportion of organizations, even some of those now known as successful innovators,
later regressed to a more Tayloristic manner of working. This book explores various
explanations, seeks to draw out the practical lessons. It will also assist students new to the
area with introductory material alongside the main text.
Hans D.Pruijt is Assistant Professor at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. One of his
interests is the design of organizations that use information technology for realizing
human potential. Previously, he has written widely on organizational change.
ROUTLEDGE ADVANCES IN
MANAGEMENT AND BUSINESS
STUDIES
1. MIDDLE MANAGERS IN EUROPE
Yves Frédéric Livian and John G.Burgoyne
2. MARKETING APOCALYPSE
Eschatology, Escapology and the Illusion of the End
Edited by Stephen Brown, Jim Bell and David Carson
3. RELATIONSHIP MARKETING IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
A Study of Agency—Client Dynamics in the Advertising Sector
Aino Halinen
4. JOB DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
Taylorism vs. Anti-Taylorism—
Hans D.Pruijt
JOB DESIGN AND
TECHNOLOGY
Taylorism vs. Anti-Taylorism
Hans D.Pruijt

London and New York
First published 1997
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
“ To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to
http://www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/.”
Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001
© 1997 Hans D.Pruijt
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
Job design and technology: Taylorism vs. anti-Taylorism
Pruijt, Hans D.
(Routledge advances in management and business studies)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Industrial organization—Data processing. 2. Organizational
change—Europe—Case studies. 3. Employees—Effect of
technological innovations on—Europe—Case studies. 4. Job
satisfaction. 5. Work design. I. Title. II. Series.
HD30.2.P765 1997
97–3829
658.3’14–dc21
CIP
ISBN 0-203-44457-4 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-75281-3 (Adobe e-Reader Format)
ISBN 0-415-15869-9 (Print Edition)
FOR INES
CONTENTS
List of illustrations vii
Preface viii
Acknowledgments ix
1 INTRODUCTION 1
2 INSIDE CONSENSUAL ALTERNATIVES TO TAYLORISM 15
3 ENLIGHTENMENT: SHOWING MANAGERS THE WAY 35
4 CONSENSUAL ALTERNATIVES: ACHIEVEMENTS IN JOB

DESIGN 57
5 MANAGEMENT POWER AND EFFICIENCY AS CONSTRAINTS 82
6 ALTERNATIVE ALTERNATIVES 99
7 A FINAL NOTE ON ANTI-TAYLORISM

124
Appendix 127
Notes 130
Bibliography 145
Index 168
ILLUSTRATIONS
FIGURES
4.1 Forms of alleviation of technical discipline in consensual alternatives 58
4.2 Job enlargement 62
4.3 Job enrichment 63
4.4 Decentralization of responsibility 70
4.5 Forms of participation 72
4.6 Impact rates per issue 76
5.1 The Babbage principle as an obstacle to job enrichment 94
6.1 Conceptual model 100
6.2 Findings illustrated in conceptual model 122
A.1 Homogeneity analysis 127
A.2 Category quantifications labeled with the category values 129
TABLES
2.1 Types of work involved 16
4.1 Cases in the electrics/electronics industry 61
4.2 Cases in the automobile industry 61
A.1 Discrimination measures 129
N.1 Cross-tabulation of job enlargement by subsidy (sixty cases) 136
N.2 Prevention in consensual alternatives 137
N.3 Distribution of issues in consensual alternatives 138
PREFACE
As global competition heats up, organizational change is in the air. Nevertheless, the
quest for speed, flexibility and quality tends to leave the underlying principle of many
organizations in place. This principle is Taylorism: keeping conception and execution
apart. For some, this may be a fact of life. This book contends that this is not the case.
There are viable alternatives, and there are organizations in which these are self-
consciously being pursued. In north-western Europe, the fight against Taylorism has been
going on for decades now. It survived economic changes from full employment and rapid
growth to recession with widespread downsizing. It survived political changes from
center-left to center-right. The labels change, high-profile events alternate with less
spectacular initiatives, centers of activity shift from country to country, but there is an
overall continuity. This means that the subject of this book is relatively timeless.
Studying anti-Tayloristic changes tends to make one sadder but wiser. Beyond a
certain point, however, a change in perspective sets in; both the opportunities and the
pitfalls are seen more clearly. The purpose of this book is to give you, the reader, a
shortcut to the latter, more informed, position.
To this end, it draws upon a collection of 150 cases based in Scandinavia, the UK, the
Netherlands and Germany. It also examines the role of state policy, research and
consultancy, works councils and unions.
Much of the existing literature is restricted to the ideological level. Therefore, one of
my main drives was to find out what the actual resulting change on the shop floor level
was. The analysis showed that it is possible, with monumental effort and a lot of
ingenuity, to achieve positive results. The book reports various examples of this.
However, a notable proportion of the organizations later regressed to a more Tayloristic
way of working. This happened to several organizations that in the literature have
become known as successful innovators.
I have also tried to explain why Taylorism is the target of so many change efforts. The
conventional explanation is that Tayloristic organizations are not able to adapt
themselves fast enough to an ever more turbulent environ-ment. In this view, getting
away from Taylorism is a form of modernization. To a large extent, this view seems
correct. Nonetheless, some of the findings did not support the modernization view, such
as the frequent regression to older patterns, the intense involvement of unions and the
incorporation of anti-Tayloristic provisions in labor legislation. Tensions resulting from
structural properties of the employment relation are an additional explanation for these
findings.
I hope that this book will not only be of value to researchers, but also for those of you
who are actually engaged in change efforts. For you, I have tried to draw out the potential
practical lessons. To improve the accessibility to students, I have included introductory
material alongside the main text.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
It is a pleasure for me to record my thanks to many people who helped in the research
project. The following persons (at the risk of forgetting someone) were so kind as to let
me share in their experience and often supplied me with documentation as well: Thomas
Ahlström, Andrew Ainger, Pierre van Amelsfoort, Klas Barklöf, Bengt Berntsson, Peter
Binkelmann, J.Bloem, Theo Bouwman, K.Brandt, Leen Buizert, Wolfgang Büntgen,
Kirstin Carlo, A.Coppens, A.Drinkuth, Pelle Ehn, Kaj Frick, Willem Galama, Kaj
Grenrud, Robert Gugenheimer, B.Gustavsen, Bengt Linelh, D.Murk, Thomas Handreke,
Bengt-Göran Hansson, Mr G. Hedemann, Manfred Held, R.von der Heydt, Sune
Isaacson, Mr Konter, Mr Milan, Mr Meysen, Lena Johansson, Eva Jönsson, Mr Kieboom,
F.Kriebisch, H.Kugel, Robert Los, Erhard Merschbrock, Susanne Nilsson, Michael
Noack, Paul Oehlke, René Paprotka, J.Petterson, G.Sartor, Mr Schweitzer, Rainer
Schultz-Wild, Hans-Alexander Graf von Schwerin, Ulla Skalare, Lennart Sköld, Evert
Smit, Lars Sundström, T.Taekema, Mr Thoenicke, B. Viklund, Piet Wemmers, Bjørn
Willadsen.
I also received helpful information, documentation or other support from Jan van
Beemen, Yo Brenner, Chris Clegg, Peter Cressey, Nick van Den Heuvel, Rien Huiskamp,
Bert Jetten, D.Joosse, Maarten van Klaveren, Sander Kooistra, Herman Leisink, Geert
Meijerink, Nienke Mier, F. Naschold, Frank Pot, André Rhebergen, Per Sederblad, Wim
Sprenger, Ingrid Swakman, Geert Tersteeg and Toke Tom. Renate Kiebeler helped to
locate key innovators in Germany.
I thank Joop Ramondt for his successful supervision. Wout Buitelaar, Sandra
Groeneveld, Hendrik Delagrange, Nick van den Heuvel, Fred Huijgen, Rien Huiskamp,
Gerrit van Kooten, Hans Schenk, Roel Schouteten, Bram Steijn, and Machiel
Zwanenburg read early versions of the manuscript and made important comments. I also
thank the anonymous reviewers for their suggestions. Jan Koster gave statistical advice.
Conrad Bons and Brigitte Ter Horst gave valuable feedback on the initial research ideas.
Ann Van Beemen-Prasad corrected many English language errors and pointed to sections
that needed clarification. Of course, any remaining mistakes are entirely my own
responsibility. I welcome further comments and suggestions from the readers of this
book.
I thank all those others who helped me in some way or another, like the camper who
offered to drive me from an Uddevalla campsite to the Volvo car plant.
The Service Sector branch of the Technology, Labor, Organization (TAO) program
financially supported the research. Also, the TAO program enabled me to get to know
people who were involved in anti-Tayloristic policy. The Erasmus University Trust Fund
provided for linguistic support.
My parents were important sponsors of my activities in sociology and a source of
encouragement.