The Decline of Labour Process Analysis and the Future Sociology of Work

Sociology ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 43 (5) ◽  
pp. 931-951 ◽  
Author(s):  
Damian O'Doherty ◽  
Hugh Willmott
Keyword(s):  
Process Analysis ◽  
Sociology Of Work ◽  
Labour Process ◽  
The Future

Beyond technological determinism: revitalising labour process analyses of technology, capital and labour

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 139-159
Author(s):  
Paul Thompson ◽  
Knut Laaser
Keyword(s):  
Industrial Revolution ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Economic Systems ◽  
Call Centre ◽  
Technological Determinism ◽  
Strategic Choices ◽  
Work Relations ◽  
Labour Process ◽  
Digital Era ◽  
Critical Commentary

Technological determinism is a recurrent feature in debates concerning changes in economy and work and has resurfaced sharply in the discourse around the ‘fourth industrial revolution’. While a number of authors have, in recent years, critiqued the trend, this article is distinctive in arguing that foundational labour process analysis provides the most effective source of an alternative understanding of the relations between political economy, science, technology and work relations. The article refines and reframes this analysis, through an engagement with critical commentary and research, developing the idea of a political materialist approach that can reveal the various influences on, sources of contestation and levels of strategic choices that are open to economic actors. A distinction is made between ‘first order’ choices, often about adoption at aggregate level and ‘second order’ choices mainly concerned with complex issues of deployment. This framework is then applied to the analysis of case studies of the call centre labour process and digital labour platform, functioning as illustrative scenarios. It is argued that the nature of techno-economic systems in the ‘digital era’ open up greater opportunities for contestation.

The Factory of the Future? The Contradictory Restructuring of an Assembly Line in France

2020 ◽  
pp. 118-136
Author(s):  
Juan Sebastian Carbonell
Keyword(s):  
Economic Crisis ◽  
Assembly Line ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Industrie 4.0 ◽  
Labour Process ◽  
The Future ◽  
Factory Of The Future ◽  
Assembly Operations

This paper studies how the introduction of new technologies and a new organiza-tion of work transforms the labour process at an assembly line of the PSA group in France. The firm presents the new organization as an innovative modernization bringing forward the "Factory of the Future" through concepts directly inspired by Industrie 4.0 and Industrie du futur. At the same time, this modernization also re-sponds to the need for the plant to become more competitive in order to face the consequences of the economic crisis of 2008. Drawing from data obtained through fieldwork (interviews with workers, union representatives and internal documents), the author shows that behind the rhetoric of modernization and industrial excel-lence, the firm intensifies work in assembly operations and workers lose autono-my.

scholarly journals Social Demand for the Future of Russia Within Political Projects and Mass Political Consciousness

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 108-122
Author(s):  
Aleksander Vilkov ◽  
◽  
Nikolaj Shestov ◽  
Andrei Abramov ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Public Opinion ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
System Optimization ◽  
The Political ◽  
Political Consciousness ◽  
Political Actors ◽  
Social Risks ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Future

Introduction. The purpose of this article is to find out to what extent the “social state” concept, brought to the fore of domestic political, social, and economic agendas by amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, is able to satisfy the demand of the mass political consciousness in Russia for the image of the country’s future. Methods and materials. To solve this problem, a wide range of general scholarly and specific political science approaches and methods were used. The conclusions are based on the results of opinion polls conducted by the largest social surveys research organizations of Russia (i.e. “Russian Public Opinion Research Center”, “Levada-Center”, and “Public Opinion Foundation”), analysis of the programs of political parties, speeches of Russian politicians, as well as on the observation over the Russian political process. Analysis. The views of citizens on the prospects for the development of relations between the state and society in Russia are analyzed in relation to the political projects of leading Russian political actors; the prospects of key projects of the existing political, social, and economic system optimization in the context of their compliance with the needs of various social groups in modern Russia are considered; estimation of social risks of their implementation is given. Results. An inference is made that formation of a socially desired image of the future of Russia requires a significant adjustment of the main Russian political actors’ activities. Domestic political parties need a renewal of their leadership and relevant institutional and ideological reformatting; the highest bodies of state power need to adjust the political course – first of all, it is necessary to establish control over the use of natural resources, introduce a differentiated taxation system, and stimulate production. The lack of a clear response from government bodies and party structures to society’s requests for a just, socially responsible state creates risks for the stability of the domestic social and political system, and can be used by destructive political forces to implement the scenario of a “colour revolution” in Russia.

scholarly journals My talent or yours? A labour process analysis of talent management in practice

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 178-199
Author(s):  
Chitalu Kabwe ◽  
Smita Tripathi
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Process Analysis ◽  
Talent Management ◽  
Employment Relationship ◽  
Process Theory ◽  
Managerial Control ◽  
Employment Relationships ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Labour Process ◽  
Work Intensification

The article empirically examines the experiences of managers and employees involved in talent management practices. Our empirical aim is to explore the ways in which high-potential employees might also be exposed to a degradation of their employment relationship. We make a theoretical contribution by analysing talent management practices through the conceptual lens of labour process theory. Labour process theory is part of a well-established Marxist approach and we extend this framework to analyse talent management practices in industrial capitalism to offer new insights into how these practices are changing the employment relationships via augmented managerial control and work intensification. Using an employer–employee perspective, we use qualitative data from three multinational companies based in Europe. Our findings indicate the widespread use of ‘softer’ forms of control, alongside work intensification and a general illusion of opportunity and expectations, thus degrading and hollowing out the employment relationship. In effect, talent management practices are increasing workplace pressure through uncompensated talent development activities and are paradoxically debilitating the employment relationships for the ‘talented’ employees.

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