Information Technology and Management Overheads I & II

Information and Business - Internal Side I
Management and Regimentation

"Taylorism"- Scientific Management

History. Develops 1905 to break down tasks so workers are replaceable and easily trainable. 'The ideal shovel weight.'
De-humanizing? Turning people into 'machines?
De-skilling- Worker only knows how to do one little job. No more 'start to finish' skills.
Centralizes decisions in management- only management sees big picture- the higher in management one goes, the more one sees.

"Fordism"- Assembly Line Management

Better keep up with the line!
Efficiency
[do workers make enough money to buy cars?]

"Toyota-ism"- Problem with static hierarchical management-

How to develop new products quickly

need to keep up with demands for new products
retraining workers?

How to improve quality?

workers not the management know about the quality and how to improve it?

How to find out and fix what is wrong on assembly line

workers not the management know best what is happening at 'factory.'

How to deal with more informed labor

labor needs to use more advanced technology
labor needs to be more educated, wants respect
labor can find out about its options, can leave firm

Information and Business - Internal Side II
Outsourcing and Temp Labor

Replacing workers with machines

Let computers do the traditional work of the 'middle class'
From paper pushing and appointment setting to automatic filtering
Will there be new jobs as computers automate 'service/information industry?

Flattened Pyramid- what happened to the middle class?

Monitoring workers with machines

Machines can count and monitor each keystroke or telephone call- can develop measure of ‘efficiency.’
A renewed Taylorism?

Organizing 'labor markets' with machines- Post Fordism

Decentralizing facilities and workforce. Firms become more multi-national

"Transnational Corporations" - where is their 'home'
Manipulating national politics- hard to regulate
Ex. Jamaicans answer telephone for Am. Airlines

Outsourcing labor as needed- using comm. tech to develop global labor market; hard for labor to organize.

Job Displacement- Shop around for cheapest labor
Wage Suppression- lowest wages will get the plant
Rise of the Temp Worker- fewer benefits

"Core and Ring"- Central permanent core with temp contract labor

New kinds of (information) jobs for workers?

Do they pay? Who do they pay? Are they steady?
Will they be replaced in turn by automation and info technology?