Management and Technology

The success of any particular piece of technological innovation has usually been directly measured by the scale of profit increase in the context of the textile finishing industry. Other considerations are now accepted as of comparable importance – and these new considerations derive mainly from the requirement to take better account of the needs of the workforce. When new technologies are proposed for use in any industry, the workforce now look to the possible repercussions under three headings: (i) the likelihood that unit cost reduction may be largely effected by a reduction in the numbers of operatives required – Luddism, etc., (ii) the requirement that individual work loads shall be reduced, and that any alteration shall make a positive contribution to working conditions, (iii) that any financial gain from such introduction shall be, in part, enjoyed by the workforce. For the most part, present-day management recognizes the legitimate nature of many of the workforce’s expectations from technological innovation. Additionally, the law now demands in many ways that these ambitions be recognized. The various individual aspects are each analysed in some detail – management problems in meeting them identified; and the possibilities of previous imbalances in favour of capital and against labour being over-compensated are considered. The pitfalls of ‘over-compensation’ are discussed, and the possible nature of an eventual better balance assessed