Impact of advanced manufacturing technology on industrial relations: A comparative study

1989 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 291-298
Author(s):  
Yash P. Gupta ◽  
M.D. Yakimchuk
Keyword(s):  
Comparative Study ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Manufacturing Technology ◽  
Advanced Manufacturing Technology ◽  
Advanced Manufacturing

An approach for negating the view that technology ‘competes’ with humans

Robotica ◽  
1987 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 251-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. L. Primrose ◽  
R. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Ability ◽  
Labour Force ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Manufacturing Technology ◽  
Advanced Manufacturing Technology ◽  
Advanced Manufacturing ◽  
Human Beings ◽  
Government Incentives ◽  
Cad Cam

SUMMARYEngineers have traditionally invested in Advanced Manufacturing Technology (AMT), such as FMS, Robots, CAD/CAM, CNC and MRP to achieve a reduction in the labour force. Similarly, government incentives for introducing AMT, have also placed an undue emphasis on the ‘need to replace labour with technology’. This policy creates severe industrial relations problems and leads to the view that technology, especially robots, ‘competes’ with human beings for employment. Research at U.M.I.S.T. has shown that AMT is much more viable when the objective of the investment is to increase a company's overall competitive ability, thereby generating increased sales which, in turn, necessitates an INCREASED labour force. The paper discusses various aspects of AMT and in each case it is shown how the acceptability of the investment is improved when the new technology is viewed ‘company-wide’. When this occurs, technology is viewed as being ‘complementary to’ and not ‘instead of’ humans.

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