THE MANAGEMENT OF PRODUCTION AND THE CHANGING CHARACTER OF THE KIBBUTZ AS A MODE OF PRODUCTION

During the 1980s, the Israeli economy suffered near financial collapse and the kibbutz movement and its industry became heavily debt bound. As a result, significant changes in the social and economic organizati on of the kibbutz were implemented. It is argued here that the changes in economic organization are the more significant. Industry is the cr itical point of articulation between the kibbutz and the market econom y. Ensuring commensurability between market exigencies and the organiz ation and control of the kibbutz labour process is an imperative and y et few substantive data have emerged examining the transformation of t he kibbutz labour process. Drawing upon data from a longitudinal, qual itative analysis of a case study kibbutz plant, as well as other secon dary material, this paper examines the changes in the management of pr oduction, suggesting a formal managerial appropriation of a previously socialized kibbutz labour process with a complementary (quasi-) commo dification of labour. Such changes facilitate greater market commensur ability but also, importantly, have serious consequences for the repro duction of the kibbutz as a mode of production.