Fordism and Post-Fordism as Theories of Work Organisation - Essay Example

54-55), it was not until over twenty years later that the term Fordism came into being. Antonio Gramsci, an Italian Communist imprisoned by Mussolini from 1926 to 1937 (Slattery, 1991, p. 125), authored the article 'Americanism and Fordism' in 1931. In this stinging critique of capitalism, he breaks down the fundamental changes occurring to the characteristics of labour. For 'the purpose of American society-developing in the worker to the highest degree automatic and mechanical attitudes, breaking up the old psycho-nexus of qualified professional work and reducing productive operations exclusively to the mechanical, physical aspect' (Gramsci, 1931, p. 290). Generally, Fordism is defined by standardisation of labour and components, usage of the assembly line, strict specialisation of semi-skilled labour and high production levels.

This mass manufacturing depended on a stable economy and a predictable mass consumerism, for 'without the mass consumption of mass-produced products, companies would quickly go bankrupt' (O'Donnell, 1997, p. 252). The fundamental need for so many consumers led to the development of widespread advertising (Kirby et al, 2000, p. 340). Yet what distinguishes this paradigm shift is, as Gramsci noted above, the removal of decision-making power from the worker. A relative contemporary of Ford, Frederick Taylor, proposed that all mental activity should be removed from the factory floor so workers could almost become machines, with their pay tied to personal productivity (O'Donnell, 1997, p. 288). Fordism meant great homogeny, efficiency and output, which in turn meant greater prosperity.

However, the strict division of labour created an unmotivated work force increasingly alienated from management. Competitive pay was not sufficient to stop the rapid turnover, and the growth of unions such as Industrial Workers of the World during this period attests to this dissatisfaction (Grint, 1998, p. 284). Additionally, Fordism needed a reliable economy and consumer base-this is illustrated by the number of companies, such as Ford, which only survived the American Great Depression due to large scale government intervention (O'Donnell, 1997, p. 252). Another factor is that drastic increases in productivity of the first stage of Fordism were unique-subsequent changes were less effective, for 'there was a finite limit to, or at least declining return from, the extent to which time and motion studies etc.

could increase productivity' (Grint, 1998, p. 284). Once an entire industry converted, it became difficult to continue finding significant ways to heighten productivity and further decrease costs. Eventually these disadvantages, along with the rise of a new type of mass consumerism, would set the stage for the conditions the next theory of work organisation is based upon-Post-Fordism. As technological advances and consumer wants became more varied, a new theory of work organisation was proposed in The Second Industrial Divide by Michael Piore and Charles Sabel in 1984.

Responding to the economic downturn of the 1970's and the limitations of mass production (Kirby et al, 2000, p. 340), they held that a new system was coming into being, motivated by increasing consumer demand for specialised