Table Of ContentWorkers, 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
