Workers, Managers, and Technological Change: Emerging Patterns of Labor Relations PDF
Preview Workers, Managers, and Technological Change: Emerging Patterns of Labor Relations
Workers, Managers, and Technological Change Emerging Patterns of Labor Relations PLENUM STUDIES IN WORK AND INDUSTRY Series Editors: Ivar Berg, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pmnsylvania and Arne L. Kalleberg, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina WORK AND INDUSTRY Structures, Markets, and Processes Arne L. Kalleberg and Ivar Berg WORKERS, MANAGERS, AND TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE Emerging Patterns of Labor Relations Edited by Daniel B. Cornfield A Continuation Order plan is available for this series. A continuation order will bring delivery of each new volume immediately upon publication. Volumes are billed only upon actual shipment. For further information please contact the publisher. Workers, Managers, and Technological Change Emerging Patterns of Labor Relations Edited by Daniel B. Cornfield Vanderbilt University Nashville, Tennessee With a Foreword by Ray Marshall University of Texas at Austin Austin, Texas PLENUM PRESS • NEW YORK AND LONDON Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Workers, managers, and technological change. (Plenum studies in work and industry) Includes bibliographies and index. 1. Labor supply-United States-Effect of technological innovations on. 2. In· dustrial relations-United States. I. Cornfield, Daniel B. n. Series. HD6331.2.USW67 1987 331'.0973 87-2327 ISBN-13: 978-1-4612-9018-6 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4613-1821-7 001: 10.1007/978-1-4613-1821-7 © 1987 Plenum Press, New York Softcover reprint ofthe hardcover 1s t edition 1987 A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation 233 Spring Street, New York, N.Y. 10013 All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming, recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher Contributors James D. Abrams, Institute of Industrial and Labor Relations, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Dennis A. Ahlburg, Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota Lawrence D. Anderson, Industrial Relations Center, University of Min nesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota Adria M. Anuzis, Institute of Industrial and Labor Relations, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Sandra 1. Barrett, Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota, Min neapolis, Minnesota Diane P. Bates, Department of Sociology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Dick Batten, Department of Sociology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Vern Baxter, Department of Sociology, University of New.Orleans, New Orleans, Louisiana Gordon Betcherman, Institute of Industrial Relations, University of Califor nia, Los Angeles, California, and Economic Council of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada John P. Byrne, Institute of Industrial and Labor Relations, University of Mich igan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann E. Carey, Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota, Min neapolis, Minnesota v vi Contributors Deborah K. Carter, Department of Sociology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Trudie W. Coker, Department of Sociology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Daniel B. Cornfield, Department of Sociology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Richard A. Couto, Center for Health Services, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Michael Cushion, Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan Hans-Helmut Ehm, University of Trier, Postfach 2710 Trier 5500 Tracy Elsperman, Institute of Industrial and Labor Relations, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan John Francis, Center for Technology and Policy and Department of Sociology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts Gerald Gordon, Center for Technology and Policy and Department of So ciology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts Allison Haines, Institute of Industrial and Labor Relations, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Michael Indergaard, Department of Sociology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan Arne L. Kalleberg, Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina Katheleen E. Kitzmiller, Department of Sociology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Kevin T. Leicht, Department of Sociology, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana David Lewin, Graduate School of Business, Columbia University, New York, New York Christopher D. Liguori, Institute of Industrial and Labor Relations, Univer sity of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Contributors vii Karyn A. Loscocco, Department of Sociology, State University of New York, Albany, New York Bruce A. Lundgren, Industrial Relations Center, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota Sally Moulton, Center for Technology and Policy and Department of So ciology, Boston University, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts Kent D. Peterson, George Peabody College, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Polly A. Phipps, Department of Sociology, University of Michigan, Ann Ar bor, Michigan Douglas Rebne, Institute of Industrial Relations, University of California, Los Angeles, California Sara Schoonmaker, Department of Sociology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts . Arthur B. Schwartz, Institute of Industrial and Labor Relations, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan Arthur B. Shostak, Department of Psychology and Sociology, Drexel Univer sity, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Robert J. Thomas, Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts Tom Wachtell, Center for Technology and Policy and Department of So ciology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts Michael Wallace, Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, Colum bus, Ohio Peter B. Wood, Department of Sociology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee Ashraf Zahedi, Center for Technology and Policy and Department of So ciology, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts Foreword Workers, Managers, and Technological Change: Emerging Patterns of Labor Relations contributes significantly to an important subject. Technological change is one of the most powerful forces transforming the American industrial relations system. In fact, the synergistic relationships between technology and indus trial relations are so complex that they are not well or completely understood. We know that the impact of technology, while not independent of social forces, already has been profound: it has transformed occupations, creating new skills and destroying others; altered the power relationships between workers and managers; and changed the way workers learn and work. Tech nology also has made it possible to decentralize some economic activities out of large metropolitan areas and into small towns, rural areas, and other coun tries. Most important, information technology makes it possible for interna tional corporations to operate on a global basis. Indeed, some international corporations, especially those based in the United States, are losing their national identities, detaching the welfare of corporations from that of particu lar workers and communities. Internationalization, facilitated by information technology, has trans formed industrial relations systems. A major objective of the traditional American industrial relations system was to take labor out of competition. Internationalization makes it impossible for unions to restrict labor market competition through national regulation and collective bargaining alone.lnter national competition and dynamic change also require much greater attention to productivity, flexibility, and international competitiveness. These eco nomic imperatives require that traditional adversariallabor-management re lations be complemented by more cooperative arrangements whereby manag ers pay more attention to worker security, welfare, and development and workers and their leaders are more concerned with the economic viability of firms. In order to survive and grow in an internationalized information world, labor movements must develop policies and procedures to deal with interna tional corporations and global competition. Workers, Managers, and Technological Change strengthens our understand ing of these complex relationships. It is precisely the kind of industry- and ix x Foreword craft-specific work required to provide the knowledge base needed by those involved in the industrial relations system as well as those who seek to under stand it. This volume does not answer 'all of the questions raised by tech nological change, but it makes an important contribution to our understand ing and provides an analytical and factual basis for other work on this subject. RAy MARSHALL University of Texas at Austin
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