Research Paper on:
Power and Politics in the Employment Relationship

Unformatted Sample Text from the Research Paper:
with best practice and to meet the needs of the customers with increased standardisation. With plants across several countries this has meant changes on both the way operation have taken  place, the company has had to change. The changes, which have included more cross facility divisions to allow the transfer of knowledge and best practice across the facilities may also  be seen as undermining the traditional hierarchies. The changes were not only practical but also political, as the result of standardisation saw many of the plant manager have less power  or discretion. The company also appear to be taking a very paternal approach, as although they try and persuade and will adapt, when they decide they want a particular tool  used or approach taken they will enforce it is necessary, even if this means sacking the plant manager to get it done. The change has created a loss of  power I the employment relationship shifting away from the managers and employees towards the employer. Here we may draw a comparison with the move from craftsmanship working to the use  of scientific management and the way power shifted if we are examining the use of power. Prior to the industrial revolution and the development of scientific management the division  of labour was based on craft, with craftsmen being granted complete discretion on the method and manner of completion of the task, both the design and execution. Here the power  as to how the job was performed was with the craftsman as the employers remain ignorant of the details and skills or processes needed to complete the job.  Post industrial revolution the sub-division of labour appears, this included the breaking down of jobs into component parts, each given to individuals responsible for