COMPUTERIZATION OF THE WORKPLACE

Divergent conceptualizations of the recent changes in work organizatio n that have accompanied computerization include neo-Bravermanian analy ses, postindustrial analyses, and contingency analyses. To make sense of these differing views, the paper surveys sociological research on c omputerization and its impact on three analytically separate dimension s of the workplace: organizational restructuring, changes in worker sk ill, and power and authority relationships. The review reveals that co mputerized work organizations typically have fewer hierarchical levels , a bifurcated workforce, frequently with race and sex segregation, a less formal structure, and diminished use of internal labor markets an d reliance instead on external credentialing. Variable patterns of cen tralization and decentralization occur, and workplace power relationsh ips interact with technological change to produce variable political o utcomes. With regard to worker skills, recent evidence suggests aggreg ate upskilling with some deskilling and skill bifurcation. Future rese arch should more closely analyze the process of technological design a nd implementation.