Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Keyword
-
- Division of labor (2)
- Organization (2)
- Benefit (1)
- Bureaucracy (1)
- Cross-disciplinary theory (1)
-
- Customer service (1)
- Groups (1)
- Job (1)
- Labor (1)
- Management systems (1)
- Manager (1)
- Market (1)
- Participation (1)
- Performance (1)
- Productivity growth (1)
- Self-directed teams (1)
- Service (1)
- Service activities (1)
- Service occupations (1)
- Telecommunication (1)
- Telecommunications (1)
- Work (1)
- Work systems (1)
- Worker (1)
- File Type
Articles 1 - 5 of 5
Full-Text Articles in Labor Relations
Organizational Performance In Services, Rosemary Batt, Virginia Doellgast
Organizational Performance In Services, Rosemary Batt, Virginia Doellgast
Rosemary Batt
The question of performance in service activities and occupations is important for several reasons. First, over two-thirds of employment in advanced economies is in service activities. Second, productivity growth in services is historically low, lagging far behind manufacturing, and as a result, wages in production-level service jobs remain low. In addition, labor costs in service activities are often over 50% of total costs, whereas in manufacturing they have fallen to less than 25% of costs. This raises the question of whether management practices that have improved performance in manufacturing, such as investment in the skills and training of the workforce, …
Groups, Teams, And The Division Of Labor — Interdisciplinary Perspectives On The Organization Of Work, Rosemary Batt, Virginia Doellgast
Groups, Teams, And The Division Of Labor — Interdisciplinary Perspectives On The Organization Of Work, Rosemary Batt, Virginia Doellgast
Rosemary Batt
The purpose of this chapter is to survey and critique this varied landscape of research on groups at work, drawing out common themes and selective weaknesses with the goal of suggesting a more synthetic and informed future agenda. Our discussion is not encyclopedic, but rather focused on three quite different research traditions: those based in psychology, in industrial relations, and in critical sociology. We outline the intellectual landscape of each case and highlight areas of agreement and disagreement. We argue that this project of cross-disciplinary theory building encounters substantial challenges, but is rich in potential. These traditions differ in their …
Introduction To Part 1: The Division Of Labor, Rosemary Batt
Introduction To Part 1: The Division Of Labor, Rosemary Batt
Rosemary Batt
The changing nature of work, technology, and the division of labor in the last quarter of the twentieth century has been a central preoccupation of scholarship on organizations. Debate has centered on the extent to which a fundamental shift in employment systems has occurred—from so-called Fordist to post-Fordist models. The stylized facts portray the former as characterized by internal labor market systems in large organizations, narrow jobs in hierarchical career ladders, and long-term employment relations. The latter include decentralized organizations, flatter hierarchies, team-based forms of work organization, and shorter employment relations that reflect external market pressures. The accumulated body of …
Outcomes Of Self-Directed Work Groups In Telecommunications Services, Rosemary Batt
Outcomes Of Self-Directed Work Groups In Telecommunications Services, Rosemary Batt
Rosemary Batt
[Excerpt] The purpose of my presentation is to consider whether the use of self-directed teams enhances competitiveness in services. In the context of heightened competition brought about by deregulation and the internationalization of service markets, do "team-based" work systems produce higher quality service and customer satisfaction? Do workers benefit as well? Should unions as well as management support this innovation? If so, under what conditions and why? This presentation complements that of the other panelists in this session in important ways. First, while Verma provides an overview of the array of workplace innovations being introduced in telecommunications firms (from joint …
Worker Participation In Diverse Settings: Does The Form Affect The Outcome, And If So, Who Benefits?, Rosemary Batt, Eileen Applebaum
Worker Participation In Diverse Settings: Does The Form Affect The Outcome, And If So, Who Benefits?, Rosemary Batt, Eileen Applebaum
Rosemary Batt
[Excerpt] This paper utilizes extensive surveys of workers in three occupational groups (network craft workers, semi-skilled office workers, and semi-skilled machine operators) in two very different industries (telecommunications and apparel)i to examine the outcomes of workplace innovations. Our central . question has two parts. First, what are the outcomes of off-line employee participation programs versus on-line work reorganization experiments? Second, who benefits from which type of innovation: employees, employers, or both? To answer these questions, we consider the effects of off-line versus on-line innovations on workers' satisfaction with their jobs, on their commitment to the companies they work for, and …