New Production Concepts, Management Strategies and the Quality of Work

Abstract

Recent writings on `new production concepts', new technologies and work organisation have engendered a certain optimism regarding the future quality of work in industry. This paper reviews some of the literature on this subject and then presents some examples of change in work organisation in the West German car industry in connection with the introduction of new technologies. Attention is paid to the roles of management and workers' representatives in the process of reorganisation. Different approaches toward the reintegration and reprofessionalisation of production work are identified and discussed. The West German legislation on codetermination provides the works councils and unions with some possibilities to intervene and to influence management's choices.