PRODUCTIVITY BY SYSTEMIC RATIONALIZATION - GOOD WORK - BAD WORK - NO WORK

Since the 'Crisis of Taylorism' in the 1970s, 'new forms of work organ ization' have been developed that were intended to contain better, if not 'good', work characterized by factors such as vocational qualifica tion, personnel development, participation, and so forth. It is precis ely these factors which are endangered by the prevailing strategies of 'systemic rationalization'. In pursuing these strategies, dominant co mpanies aim to reorganize production and value creation chains in orde r to harness heterogeneous company situations within the production ne tworks so as to increase total productivity. The results consist of ei ther the stabilization or progressive polarization of employee working conditions and new problems regarding in-company interest representat ion and interest representation by unions. The material and descriptio ns presented are based on empirical findings gathered from the German automotive industry.