Workers' Attitudes and Technology

Firstpublishedin1922,thisvolumeaimedtocontributetoourunderstandingofthecomplexitieswhichshapeattitudesandbehaviouratwork.Basedonmaterialobtainedfromasurveyofworkersemployedbyasinglefirm-whooperateproductionsystemsaswidelyasdifferentascontinuous-flowchemicalproductionandyarnspinning-thisbookhighlightsfeaturesoftheproductionsystemwhicharecrucialininfluencingattitudesandbehaviourwithintheworksetting.Throughacomparisonofcraftsmenandsemi-skilledworkers,italsoillustratestheinfluenceofdifferencesofexpectationsuponworkattitudesandbehaviour.Theauthorsrejectanyapproachwhichcouldbecalledtechnologicallydeterministbutnonethelessseektoshowthatacomparativeapproachtothestudyofbehaviourinorganizationsmaystillfruitfullytakeasitsstarting-pointtechnologyandthesystemsofcontrolwhicharedevisedfortheplanningandexecutionofthetask.