ALL QUIET ON THE WORKPLACE FRONT - A CRITIQUE OF RECENT TRENDS IN BRITISH INDUSTRIAL SOCIOLOGY

Though perspectives underpinning research may have differed sharply, i ndustrial sociology at its best has been able to uncover the variety o f workplace resistance and misbehaviour that lies beneath the surface of the formal and consensual. The paper argues that this legacy is in danger of being lost as labour is taken out of the process and replace d by management as the active and successful agency. While there are a number of practical and theoretical forces shaping this trend, the pa per identifies the growing influence of Foucauldian perspectives. It g oes on to develop a critique of the way in which such theory and resea rch overstates the extent and effectiveness of new management practice s, while marginalising the potential for resistance.