The Transition from Fordism to Post Fordism
“With reference to a dualism of your choice (e.g., bureaucracy/post-bureaucracy, Fordism/post-Fordism, hard HRM/soft HRM), evaluate critically its validity as a tool for understanding the changing nature of work organisation”
Introduction
The definition of work is “ the application of effort or exertion to a purpose,” (Noon & Blyton 2002, p3) Though this does provide a reasonable definition a clearer one can be provided by Thomas (1999, xiv) who highlights three essential components to work:
1) Work produces or achieves something (it’s not an end in itself)
2) Work involves a degree of obligation or necessity (it’s a task set either by others or ourselves)
3) Work involves effort and persistence (it’s not wholly pleasurable, although there may be pleasurable elements to it)
Therefore this definition helps to clearly define the tasks individuals are expected to complete in their everyday lives, for example cleaning and ironing, but in particular in this assignment the focus will be primarily on paid work because there is a large importance in this area due to it being important as a source of employment and also the amount of time that is devoted to it.
Williams (2007 p1) states “there are many visions of the future of work,” varying from seeing the world as positive and moving progressively and others regard it as moving in the wrong direction. In particular there will be an emphasis on the dichotomy of Fordism and Post-Fordism focusing on the emergence of both dualisms and how they have shaped and will change the nature of the future of work.
Main Body
In today’s society the ability to compete in a global market has existing implications for existing patterns of work, the distribution of services and the production of goods.
Piore & Sabel (1984) have argued that the deterioration of a number of Western capitalist societies is a result of a largely redundant model of industrial development based on the mass production of standardised goods.
Introduction
The definition of work is “ the application of effort or exertion to a purpose,” (Noon & Blyton 2002, p3) Though this does provide a reasonable definition a clearer one can be provided by Thomas (1999, xiv) who highlights three essential components to work:
1) Work produces or achieves something (it’s not an end in itself)
2) Work involves a degree of obligation or necessity (it’s a task set either by others or ourselves)
3) Work involves effort and persistence (it’s not wholly pleasurable, although there may be pleasurable elements to it)
Therefore this definition helps to clearly define the tasks individuals are expected to complete in their everyday lives, for example cleaning and ironing, but in particular in this assignment the focus will be primarily on paid work because there is a large importance in this area due to it being important as a source of employment and also the amount of time that is devoted to it.
Williams (2007 p1) states “there are many visions of the future of work,” varying from seeing the world as positive and moving progressively and others regard it as moving in the wrong direction. In particular there will be an emphasis on the dichotomy of Fordism and Post-Fordism focusing on the emergence of both dualisms and how they have shaped and will change the nature of the future of work.
Main Body
In today’s society the ability to compete in a global market has existing implications for existing patterns of work, the distribution of services and the production of goods.
Piore & Sabel (1984) have argued that the deterioration of a number of Western capitalist societies is a result of a largely redundant model of industrial development based on the mass production of standardised goods.
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