UNIT 9: HOW INDIVIDUALS 
EXPERIENCE WORK


Overview

This Unit takes an almost exclusively "micro" viewpoint, attempting to understand the full spectrum of individuals' subjective work experiences. Unit 8 touched on how workers react to their jobs. Now we probe this more deeply, asking about the very meaning of work. This takes us into debates about changing work values and whether or not the work ethic is declining. We also consider how individuals may develop different personal orientations to paid work. How common is the view that a job is just a means to get money? Do men and women hold different work orientations? Given the importance of paid employment, as a social value and a means of survival, how do people react to being unemployed? Perhaps one of the most extensively researched topics in the sociology of work is job satisfaction. The Unit thus reviews the highlights of this literature, emphasizing sources of variation in job satisfaction, as well as the causes and individual consequences of job satisfaction and dissatisfaction. Job content and technology figure prominently in our discussion of the underlying determinants of satisfying work. We also venture into related areas of research, dealing with alienation and job stress. The Unit concludes by considering how the psychological effects of a job have an impact on individuals' lives away from work.

Unit Objectives

After completing this unit, students should be able to:
  1. Discuss the nature of work values and the work ethic.
  2. Assess arguments about instrumental work orientations.
  3. Describe the reasons for possible changes in work orientations in Canada.
  4. Analyze the impact of unemployment on individuals.
  5. Explain the key findings from job satisfaction research, especially the causes and consequences of job satisfaction and what accounts for variations in it.
  6. Document the impact of technology on job quality and job satisfaction.
  7. Outline how alienating and stressful working conditions affect individual worker's well-being.

Readings (104 pages)

Krahn and Lowe, Work, Industry and Canadian Society:

Lowe and Krahn (eds.), Work in Canada: Readings in the Sociology of Work and Industry:

Note: Upon completion of the Unit 9, students should also read the short Conclusion in Krahn and Lowe, Work, Industry and Canadian Society (pages 371-376).


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Section 1: Work Values and Orientations

Thought Questions

As you read, keep the following questions in mind:
  1. What factors account for the major variations in work values and work orientations?
  2. What arguments and evidence suggest that workers may be less satisfied than they claim to be?

Reading Assignments

Krahn and Lowe, Work, Industry and Canadian Society:

Lowe and Krahn (eds.), Work in Canada: Readings in the Sociology of Work and Industry:

Key Concepts

To review key concepts encountered through the reading, prepare your own explanation of each of the following. Sometimes it is useful to compare related terms, as indicated.

Study Questions

When you have completed the assigned reading, test your understanding of the material by answering the following study questions.
  1. Explain the difference between work values and work orientations.
  2. Discuss how work values have changed historically.
  3. Describe Weber's thesis about the Protestant work ethic.
  4. Outline various arguments, and their supporting evidence, in the debates about instrumental work orientations.
  5. Explain how gender may influence work orientations.
  6. Outline Rinehart's analysis of the disparities between work attitudes and on-the-job behaviour, as presented in his article in Work in Canada.

Commentary

This Unit continues to develop a micro perspective on work, exploring and elaborating issues raised in previous Units, especially Unit 8. The central concern of the material you will be reading in this Unit is how individuals experience their work situations, and the attitudes, values, expectations and orientations that define these experiences. As you read the material, remember that sociological analysis is interested in understanding how individual's attitudes and behaviour are shaped by, and in turn react to (and perhaps reshape), social institutions. The workplace offers an ideal laboratory for studying this intersection between micro and macro: between individual experiences and behaviour (micro), and the constraints imposed by social structures (macro). In short, while our focus in this Unit is micro, we must not loose sight of the specific contexts in which individual's attitudes and behaviours are formed.

After reading the introductory section to Chapter 9 in the textbook, focus on the difference between work values and work orientations. In a sense, both concepts relate to the meaning of work. The former refers to the meaning a particular society attaches to work; the latter to the preferences an individual has for particular kinds of work and how this fits in to her or his overall value system. While this sounds straight forward, as you read on you will see that considerable theorizing and debate has been prompted by attempts to account for the nature and role of these societal and individual work attitudes.

The historical discussion, on pages 314 and 315, should sensitize you to how particular socio-historical contexts gave rise to quite different sets of work values, which tended to provide justifications for existing social systems. This dynamic nature of work values is, of course, what lies behind current debates about the declining work ethic, a you will soon see. But in studying changes in work values, it is important to consider how they were not simply the product of specific social and economic conditions, but also played a role in creating these conditions. This latter point comes out strongly in Weber's Protestant work ethic thesis. While Weber stopped well short of arguing that Calvinist religious beliefs "caused" the development of capitalism, he did see them as exerting a major influence on economic behaviour. In this sense, Weber offers a counter-balance to the more "structural" explanations of the rise of capitalism discussed in Unit 1.

Just as there are dominant and counter "cultures" in a workplace, there are divergent sets of values about the meaning of work within the larger society. The humanistic tradition, expressed in the Catholic Bishop's statement on page 312, can be traced back to Renaissance thinkers and later to the work of Marx. Fragments of this humanistic view can be found in some management schemes, such as QWL, that are off-shoots of the human relations school discussed in Unit 6. But also bear in mind that unions and other critics of QWL also draw on humanistic values in advocating a more equitable distribution of job rewards and authority.

Taking a more individual focus, we turn to consider the kinds of expectations and motivations people have about work. This discussion, on pages 317 to 322 of the textbook and in Rinehart's Work in Canada article, is framed in terms of instrumental work orientations. Read the description of Lockwood's research on working class images of society, and the Affluent Worker Study that this research inspired, as an extension of Unit 8's discussion of working class consciousness. The images of society Lockwood was attempting to discern are, in his view, rooted in different work experiences and in turn affect political attitudes (class consciousness).and behaviour. Similarly, the Affluent Worker Study argued for an integrated perspective which drew together job, community and social class.

By suggesting that workers make choices about the kinds of jobs they take, based on their prior orientations, the Affluent Worker Study stirred up considerable controversy. This is evident in the alternative views presented by Blackburn and Mann's research, on page 319 of the textbook, and in Rinehart's article. The crux of this debate is the relative influence of prior socialization versus job conditions and experiences on work attitudes. Do workers bring their orientations into the workplace, or are such views a product of job experiences? Also consider the critical point raised in studies by Chinoy, MacKinnon and others (pages 319 and 320): workers in routine jobs adapt to the limited opportunities and rewards, gradually accepting that the kind of job they would really prefer is out of reach. So while such workers may display an "instrumentalism" in their work orientations, this is not out of choice but rather reflects their adaptation to structural constraints.

As you consider the Canadian evidence about instrumental work orientations, on pages 320 and 321 of the textbook, try to think about how these research findings reflect your own attitudes. There are many reasons why instrumental orientations may not be widespread. As our earlier discussion of work humanization and job quality suggests, it is widely assumed (contrary to the assumptions of Taylorism, you will recall) that most workers want more than money from a job. But keep in mind that there are working conditions, as well as specific individual characteristics, which may encourage an instrumental outlook. So while not widespread, it nonetheless is important to examine through empirical research the distribution and sources of variation in instrumental and other forms of work orientations.

This is the message that flows from the discussion on pages 321 and 322 about gender and work orientations. First note the male bias in many studies of work orientations. This echoes criticisms raised by feminists in Unit 5 about much sociology of work research in previous decades. But simply expanding the scope of research in order to identify gender differences in particular work attitudes is not sufficient. Required is a convincing sociological interpretation of such patterns, the thrust of which is to suggest that structural rather than individual factors best explain apparent gender differences. Note how this is consistent with earlier discussions, in Unit 5, of women's adaptation to their subordinate positions in gender-segregated work organizations, and the above criticisms of the instrumentalism thesis. In short, gender per se explains little.

This moves us into Rinehart's article on the contradictions between workers' attitudes and job-related behaviour. Rinehart cogently develops the argument that individual workers (male and female, although his examples are come mainly from studies of male blue-collar workers conducted several decades ago) adapt to the limits imposed by their immediate working conditions. His starting point is the observation that evidence of job satisfaction, obtained through attitude surveys, seems to contradict actual behaviour as measured in terms of the formal and informal signs of conflicts which we examined in Unit 8. Give careful thought to his telling comment on page 364 of Work In Canada: "workers' attachments to jobs are in fact limited, pragmatic, and instrumental....such job orientations neither imply nor factually entail indifference to or acceptance of the nature of work." This is a good basis from which to assess the material in this section and draw your own conclusions about work orientations.

Practice Exercise

Review Rinehart's article for its main points, then look for relevant evidence from this Section and earlier Units that bears on his argument about the contradictions between work attitudes and behaviour. On balance, does your assessment of this evidence lead you to the same conclusion, as stated in Rinehart's quote cited above? You may wish to discuss the results of this exercise with your tutor.

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Section 2: Changing Work Attitudes

Thought Question

As you read, keep the following question in mind:
  1. What changes are occurring in work values and orientations?
  2. How can these changes in work values and orientations be explained in terms of the labour market, organizational, economic and social factors documented in earlier Units?

Reading Assignments

Krahn and Lowe, Work, Industry and Canadian Society:

Lowe and Krahn (eds.), Work in Canada: Readings in the Sociology of Work and Industry:

Key Concepts

To review key concepts encountered through the reading, prepare your own explanations of each of the following.

Study Questions

When you have completed the assigned reading, test your understanding of the material by answering the following study questions.
  1. Outline how sociologists define the work ethic.
  2. Document the case against a decline of the work ethic in Canada.
  3. Explain why the work ethic in Japan is changing.
  4. How has education, labour force, and demographic trends affected work attitudes?
  5. Document the main impact of work-family conflict on employees and employers.
  6. Outline employer responses to work-family conflict, identifying which policies are likely to be most effective helping employees balance job and family.

Commentary

This section investigates sources of change in work attitudes. It challenges some of the popular notions about a declining work ethic and new work values by reviewing sociological research on these topics. As in the previous Section, be aware of the interaction between changing structural constraints and the larger socio-economic context of work, on one hand, and workers' attitudes and adaptations to these changes, on the other.

Perhaps the most widespread misconception found in popular discourse about work is that Canadians' commitment to hard work is weakening. As you contemplate this debate, pay special attention to the need to carefully define what we mean by the work ethic. Also observe that claims about a declining work ethic are another form of "blaming the victim", mentioned in Unit 8. Attributing economic woes to a deteriorating work motivation among individuals totally ignores the major structural transformations occurring in the economy and labour market. In this emerging "post-industrial" socio-economic environment it is entirely reasonable to expect individuals to adjust their attitudes about many things, including work.

Consider the flux and uncertainly that form the basis for the personal statement on page 324 of the textbook. Reading on, you may disagree with Kelvin and Jarett's idea of a "wealth ethic", but consider their point that work is a means of self-sufficiency, and therefore security, in light of Canada's record high unemployment, massive organizational restructuring and resulting lay-offs, growing number of non-standard jobs, and declining family incomes (all documented in Units 3 and 4). How might the concept of a work ethic be revised to more accurately reflect the changing needs, expectations and values of Canadians in the 1990s?

Now contemplate another source of variation in the work ethic: national culture. Pages 325 and 326 of the textbook briefly views the work ethic debate from a comparative, cross-national perspective. Again, note the overly-simplistic basis of arguments claiming that the Japanese economic "miracle" is in large part due to a stronger work ethic among Japanese workers. A more revealing approach is to ask how Japanese work values differ from those in other countries and, further, how the Japanese work ethic may be changing, perhaps due to factors similar to those affecting Canadian work values. While the influence of national culture on work attitudes obviously cannot be dismissed, as the discussion in Unit 6 with regard to organizational culture suggested, it nonetheless is crucial to recognize the paramount role that the "structural" aspects of work play in giving shape to individual's work attitudes.

Now we move on to explore three other angles on work orientations. In reading the sections on the relationship between education and work attitudes, work-family orientations, and work as a central life interest, try to construct a complete mental image of the complex set of factors which continually exert influence on individuals' work values. Try to detect how individual worker characteristics -- such as having a university degree, or being part of a dual-earner family with children -- themselves are not full explanations for changing work attitudes. Rather, these characteristics reflect changes in the composition and character of the work force, which in turn are related to the rise of a service-based, "post-industrial" society. Give some thought to how the transformations underlying the rise of a white-collar, service-based and knowledge-intensive economy in the past several decades are directly linked to rising educational levels, changing family circumstances, and new leisure patterns. As you formulate an answer to this big question, the issues raised on pages 327 to 331 of the textbook should come alive.

Finally, the article by MacBride-King and Paris, in Work in Canada, pursues one of the above issues in more depth. Work-family conflict was first introduced in Unit 5 in discussions of the prevalence of dual-earner families in Canada and the unequal gender division of labour in the household. Duffy and Pupo's article, which you read in Unit 5, examined work-family conflict in terms of the trade-offs some women make in choosing part-time jobs. One thing not to miss about the MacBride-King and Paris article is that it is based on a report from the Conference Board of Canada, a major corporate think-tank. This suggests that employers are beginning to pay attention to what has been a chronic problem for many women (and also now for growing numbers of men). Reading through the article, try to summarize the main impact of work-family balancing problems for employees, then note how these translate into "costs" for the employer. Do you think the fact that work-family balancing problems can be calculated as direct and indirect employer costs is the main reason employers are now launching "family-supportive "policies?

Practice Exercise

Combine the insights from Unit 5 with this Section's discussion of balancing work and family. Based on this, make your own assessment of what kinds of policies are going to help women and men create a healthier balance between work and family responsibilities. You may wish to discuss the results of this exercise with your tutor.

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Section 3: Experiencing Unemployment

Thought Questions

As you read, keep the following questions in mind:
  1. Why does unemployment have such negative personal consequences?
  2. How is a person's self-identity intertwined with her or his job?

Reading Assignments

Krahn and Lowe, Work, Industry and Canadian Society:

Lowe and Krahn (eds.), Work in Canada: Readings in the Sociology of Work and Industry:

Key Concepts

To review key concepts encountered through the reading, prepare your own explanations of each of the following. Sometimes it is useful to compare related terms, as indicated.

Study Questions

When you have completed the assigned reading, test your understanding of the material by answering the following study questions.
  1. Describe the main economic and psychological costs of job loss for individuals.
  2. Explain how Johada's distinction between the latent and manifest functions of work helps to explain the negative psychological impact of unemployment.
  3. Account for why unemployed people tend not to blame "the system" for their plight.
  4. Describe the three stages unemployed individuals go through in coping with their joblessness, as suggested in Burman's Work in Canada article.
  5. Discuss Burman's argument that "changed social identity following job loss affects personal identity" (Work in Canada, page 389).

Commentary

This short Section adds another dimension to our discussion of the meaning of work. By examining the experiences of the unemployed, we are able to further document the strength of work values. Not only is the work ethic deeply embedded in the value system of society, but it also becomes incorporated into the personal identities of individuals. Together, these twin foundations for work attitudes account for the negative psychological impact of joblessness. Of course, this very personal impact compounds the financial hardships it causes.

A good starting point for this Section is a quick review of Unit 3's presentation of unemployment trends. In Unit 3 we underscored the importance of carefully documenting unemployment rates and the distribution of unemployment among different social groups. The objective of this analysis was to identify the extent of unemployment and pinpoint which social groups were most at risk of being unemployed. This analysis was very "empirical", in the sense that it relied on official statistics such as unemployment rates. Lacking was a human element, so now we will rectify this by probing the lived experiences of the unemployed.

Note the contrasting styles of sociological research when you compare Unit 3 with this Section. What distinguishes the "qualitative" research reported here, compared with Unit 3's quantitative approach to unemployment, is it gets inside the minds of the unemployed and lets them provide their own account of what it is like to not have a paying job. In short, these two different approaches to studying unemployment should help to acquaint you with the diversity of research methods used in the sociology of work. As in the case of unemployment, a thorough investigation of many specific problems or issues require the combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods.

Turning your attention to the reading in the textbook, first consider the distinction between economic and psychological costs of unemployment. Regarding the former, think back to Unit 4's discussion of how labour markets create poverty by depriving some individuals of opportunities to earn an adequate living. Clearly, in a society where the vast majority of people depend on paid employment for their livelihoods, not having a job and not being able to find one for a prolonged period spells economic disaster. This is obvious enough; less obvious are the psychological effects of joblessness.

In order to interpret the psychological impact of unemployment, it is useful to apply Jahoda's distinction on page 331 of the latent and manifest functions of work. Her discussion is reminiscent of our treatment above of the centrality of work in the value systems of capitalist societies. We also have previously emphasized, in various places, the essential point that work is based on a web of social relationships among workers and between workers and managers. The discussion of work groups and work relations in Units 6 and 8 amplify this point. This importance of social relations also comes out in Jahoda's analysis, given the isolation the unemployed experience.

Furthermore, there are connections with Unit 8's discussion of collective action and the links between work and politics. Given that unemployed individuals usually feel marginalized, and tend to blame themselves for their situation, it stands to reason that their frustrations rarely are expressed collectively or in political terms. Collective consciousness and action, to use the concepts introduced in Unit 8, are difficult when individuals are feeling depressed and personally responsible for their lack of work. Again, note the recurrent themes of dominant individual values, lack of class consciousness, and tendency to "blame the victim" for work-related problems. Unemployment is yet another case of individuals internalizing what is a larger problem created by social and economic structures, thereby undermining any possibility of the sort of collective action mentioned in Unit 8.

The personal quotes from unemployed individuals on pages 332 and 333 of the textbook should be read with care, for they take you inside the experiences of unemployed individuals. Sociologists use such data, obtained from face-to-face interviews, to develop general theoretical insights about the psychological consequences of joblessness. Burman takes this approach in his article in Work in Canada. Indeed, what makes Burman's research sociologically interesting is his attempt to interpret these personal testimonies in a theoretical framework. That is, he accounts for the experiences of his study respondents in terms of how unemployment affects their personal identity. He suggests that in capitalist societies personal identities are closely tied to having a job, and the particular kind of job you have. Furthermore, Burman's analysis distinguishes three phases unemployed individuals seem to pass through in their attempt to cope with not having a job. With unemployment hovering at over 10% for several years now, try to imagine how many other Canadians share the experiences of Burman's respondents.

Practice Exercise

Quickly review the reading for this Section and make a list of the main personal consequences of unemployment. Following Burman, recognize that some of these effects may depend on the length of unemployment. Now use this check-list, and Burman's concept of phases, to interpret (or reinterpret) sociologically what you have observed an unemployed person going through. You may wish to discuss the results of this exercise with your tutor.

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Section 4: Sources of Variation in Job Satisfaction

Thought Questions

As you read, keep the following questions in mind:
  1. What are the characteristics of a highly satisfying job, or can such generalizations even be made?
  2. How important are workers' job aspirations, expectations, and personal characteristics in accounting for variations in job satisfaction?

Reading Assignments

Krahn and Lowe, Work, Industry and Canadian Society:

Lowe and Krahn (eds.), Work in Canada: Readings in the Sociology of Work and Industry:

Key Concepts

To review key concepts encountered through the reading, prepare your own explanations of each of the following. Sometimes it is useful to compare related terms, as indicated.

Study Questions

When you have completed the assigned reading, test your understanding of the material by answering the following study questions.
  1. Explain why different measures of job satisfaction show varying levels of job satisfaction.
  2. Identify specific worker characteristics which appear to influence job satisfaction.
  3. Discuss the impact job conditions have on job satisfaction.
  4. Critically assess the relevance of Herzberg's two-factor theory of job satisfaction.
  5. Explain how the presence or absence of opportunities for career advancement, challenge and growth affect job satisfaction.
  6. Document the major sources of employee discontent, according to Maynard's
Work in Canada article, and explain why she concludes that employers should be concerned about this (page 361).

Commentary

This Section examines job satisfaction, a topic of great interest to workers, managers and academic researchers in sociology and related disciplines. Earlier Sections set the stage for investigating job satisfaction by analyzing work orientations and how individuals make adaptations to these expectations and preferences to fit the opportunities available to them. We also saw the crucial importance of a job for a person's overall well-being in the previous Section on unemployment. In sum, then, we have established that paid work is central to the value systems of capitalist society and to an individual's self-identify. But what degree of personal satisfaction do people derive from their jobs? What personal characteristics and job conditions influence job satisfaction or dissatisfaction? Given the personal relevance of this Section for you, before you begin the reading take a few moments and jot down your own image of what constitutes a "satisfying" job.

As a suggestion, try approaching the topic of job satisfaction by first reading the quotes on page 338 and the accompanying Introduction on the next page of the textbook. Then read Maynard's Work in Canada article. This will get you thinking about what workers view as satisfying and dissatisfying in a job. As well, it will help to show how job conditions and, to a lesser extent, worker's personal characteristics such as age, education, race or ethnicity, and gender influence the level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction. Observe the same qualitative research approach as used by Burman in the above Section on unemployment. But also recognize that Maynard's article draws on personal statements provided by respondents to a large national survey which also gathered quantitative evidence on job satisfaction.

Many of the issues previously discussed in connection with work attitudes, as well as workplace and labour market restructuring, are raised by Maynard's respondents. On page 356 she notes that many workers surveyed expect to switch jobs or careers and to acquire further training. This clearly reflects individual's responses to the rapid structural adjustments occurring in the labour market, documented in Unit 3. Also note the comments on balancing work and family, echoing our discussion of this issue. Another prominent theme is the difficulty women frequently face achieving satisfying work, which relates to the analysis of occupational gender segregation in Unit 5. There are also some revealing comments about the influence of unions on job satisfaction, which address the role of unions in improving working conditions first raised in Unit 7.

Also pay particular attention to Maynard's statement on pages 356 and 357, that what workers derive the greatest satisfaction from is being treated fully like human beings and given opportunities to develop and grow. Think back to Unit 6's overview of human relations management and its off-shoots. Maynard's evidence questions its effectiveness. Also recall from Unit 6 the arguments in favour of creating more participatory organizations with fulfilling jobs. Again, Maynard clearly documents the need for such changes. In fact, the Auditor General's conclusion (in the article from Unit 6) that people-oriented organizations have the best performance is strongly reinforced by Maynard. She also concludes that in the drive for leaner, more competitive organizations employers must not overlook what really makes workers happy in their job.

Now turn to the textbook's discussion of the factors contributing to job satisfaction and dissatisfaction, beginning on page 340. Note the competing motives for achieving satisfying work, which mirror the discussion above about different work values. For managers, as Maynard reminds us, job satisfaction is equated with employee commitment and productivity. However, from a humanistic perspective satisfying, meaningful work is a basic human need -- some would say a right. Much of the subsequent discussion reviews different measures of job satisfaction, reporting the typical responses given by employees in surveys. Remember Rinehart's skepticism, from his article in Section 1 above, that high levels of job satisfaction based on responses to general questions do not reveal how workers really feel about their job. Two points stand out in this respect. First, the more detailed and probing the measures (that is, survey questions), the more likely workers are to voice dissatisfaction. Second, there is a basic distinction to be made between satisfaction, on one hand, and actually liking or being happy with your job, on the other.

There is a huge literature on job satisfaction. But as noted on page 341, most studies fall into one of two camps, either emphasizing the influence of job content and working conditions, or personal characteristics. Maynard's article, as well as Rinehart's Section 1 article, has sensitized us to the role these factors play. Pages 342 to 345 of the textbook summarize research findings about the impact of personal characteristics. Age, gender, race and ethnicity, and education are personal characteristics which have an impact on workers' experience of job satisfaction. But observe that the relationship between each of these factors (or several in combination) and job satisfaction is far from straight forward. Actually, these connections are often indirect, complex, and invariably must take into account work orientations and job conditions. In short, treated in isolation from the larger context of a person's job expectations, their actual working conditions, and their opportunities for achieving better employment, these personal characteristics don't tell us very much. For example, while overall survey results (page 342 of the textbook) show similar levels of job satisfaction among men and women, Maynard's more detailed analysis (pages 355 and 359) reveals that professional women express considerable dissatisfaction with their promotion prospects.

The discussion on pages 345 and 346 of the textbook provides a theoretical perspective on job satisfaction. This acknowledges the complex set of influences on job satisfaction, paying special attention to specific intrinsic and extrinsic work rewards as well as worker's orientations and preferences. Looking at Kalleberg's argument (page 346), it is easy to see the importance of the earlier discussion of work orientations. The subsequent section goes on to document recent assessments provided by Canadian workers of their intrinsic work rewards, based on the 1989 General Social Survey (already made use of in Unit 3). Some startling findings emerge, especially regarding the decline over time in perceived advancement opportunities. But perhaps you are not surprised by this, given the analysis of "plateauing" problems faced by baby boomers in Unit 3's reading by Foot and Veene (and Maynard's article, as well).

The 1989 General Social Survey findings on decision-making autonomy, skill use, and task variety raise serious questions about the extent to which Canada's human resources are being utilized. Overqualification, or being underemployed, is emerging as a more serious problem, some would argue, than unemployment. This is especially true given the effect of education on job expectations, and the generally rising levels of education in the nation as a whole. To sum up, despite finding that close to nine out of ten workers are "satisfied" with their job, more probing and theoretically-informed analysis reveals often widespread dissatisfaction with those intrinsic characteristics which people value most in a job.

Practice Exercise

Draw up a list of what you consider to be the three most satisfying and the three least satisfying jobs. Identify which of the characteristics mentioned in the reading account for your choices.

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Section 5: Technology and Job Satisfaction

Thought Questions

As you read, keep the following questions in mind:
  1. In what ways does technology affect job satisfaction?
  2. How do worker's job experiences in the fast food industry reflect the technology and work organization used?

Reading Assignments

Krahn and Lowe, Work, Industry and Canadian Society:

Lowe and Krahn (eds.), Work in Canada: Readings in the Sociology of Work and Industry:

Key Concepts

To review key concepts encountered through the reading, prepare your own explanations of each of the following.

Study Questions

When you have completed the assigned readings, test your understanding of the material by answering the following study questions.
  1. Explain Blauner's thesis about the relationship between technology and worker satisfaction (or alienation).
  2. Summarize the main research findings about the impact of different kinds of technology on job skills.
  3. Explain the statement on page 353 of the textbook that "new technologies are not inherently good or bad."
  4. Discuss why the relationship between productivity and job satisfaction is not as strong or as direct as is often assumed.
  5. Document how the concept of "machine tending" has been applied in the fast food industry, according to Reiter's Work in Canada article.
  6. Outline the main findings of Reiter's participant observation research regarding the personal and job content factors which shape workers' experiences in the fast-food industry.

Commentary

Technology is one of the major forces which historically has transformed work. This vital point was first made in Unit 1's discussion of industrialization, elaborated in Unit 2 in the context of current debates about "post-industrial" society, then returned to in Unit 6's analysis of the combined impact of Taylorism and Fordism on 20th century work organization. In this Section, we will approach technology from the perspective of the users, asking how various kinds of new technologies affect job content, job quality, and people's experiences of their work.

As you read the section, look for the larger summary points about why and under what circumstances technology is likely to have negative or positive effects for jobs, and thus for workers' satisfaction. This question has stirred up sociological controversy for decades, as is highlighted by Blauner's research in the 1960s on the relationship between technology and alienation (or in general terms, worker satisfaction). Essentially Blauner argued that as assembly lines gave way to advanced forms of automation, workers would regain job control and hence derive greater satisfaction. Blauner's thesis (to which we shall return in the last Section) was accurate to some extent, for the more satisfying and less alienating technology he envisioned was the kind of continuous process automation found in industries such as petro-chemicals -- precisely the technology used in the Shell chemical plant described by Davis and Sullivan in Unit 6. But this work situation is far from widespread, as critics such as Rinehart have suggested. Notice how Blauner's argument mirrors Bell's post-industrial thesis, and presents an optimistic alternative to the much bleaker outlook found in Braverman and other labour process writers.

With these debates as a backdrop, now consider the research evidence presented on pages 351 to 354 of the textbook. Chapter 2 already dealt with the impact of technology on the number of jobs available, so now we shall focus on questions about job quality. The studies reported appear, at first glance, to have contradictory findings. But note the very different methodologies used and the different research questions being asked. Specifically, compare the 1989 General Social Survey (GSS) findings that computer technologies increased overall skill requirements and tended to make work more interesting, with the case studies which document far more negative impacts. Why the difference? For one thing, the impact of technology is far from uniform and even the GSS findings allow scope for deskilling and routinization. More important, what the GSS provides is a picture of trends within the entire Canadian labour force, while the case studies of office computerization and automated production systems in auto plants are zero in on specific firms. So within the overall trend toward more skilled and interesting work due to technological advances, it stands to reason that some occupations and industries will be the exceptions.

The challenge for researchers, then, is to account for how, when and why technology has these negative effects. Reread the two case studies and try to draw your own conclusions in this regard. It will help to think over the concept of technological determinism, on pages 354 and 355. For example, any technology can reduce skills and job quality if management has incorporated it into an overall strategy for work intensification and rationalization. Go back and compare the motives behind organizational changes in the Unit 6 articles by Olive an Zeidenberg with the Shell management strategy outlined by Davis and Sullivan. This range of motives applies to instances of technological change, although the consultative approach taken by Shell management still is rather rare in Canada. Also recall the reasons for management decisions to change work processes set out in the article by Rinehart in Section 1, above, and by Robertson and Wareham's case study of Northern Telecom in Unit 8. In short, it is essential to view workers' experiences of new technologies in light of management's reasons for introducing the technology and any accompanying reorganization of the labour process.

Now turn to Reiter's study of working at Burger King, in Work in Canada. Reiter's article ties together a number of the issues we have so far discussed in this and previous Sections. Technology, work organization, managerial employment strategies, are considered along side of worker's job orientations and experiences. In fact, Reiter takes us back to our discussions of Fordism in her opening comments about "machine tending". A connection you will no doubt make is between Reiter's participant observation research and Burman's qualitative study of unemployment, above. Note Reiter's justification for her choice of research methods, on page 370. Moreover, her article provides many insights about the organization of fast-food work, management employment policies, and basically how Fordist and Taylorist principles have been adapted within this booming segment of the service sector.

There are also strong parallels with our earlier discussions of flexible employment (Zeidenberg's article in Unit 6), non-standard jobs (Krahn's article in Unit 3) and women and part-time work (Duffy and Puppo's article in Unit 5). In these respects, Reiter's study provides an opportunity to integrate these issues in a highly familiar setting -- a fast-food restaurant. Another dimension of her research is its examination of the characteristics of workers, and their motivations for taking such menial, low-paid, part-time jobs -- or perhaps more accurately, why few other options were open to them. Here it is useful to recall the earlier Section on work orientations. Reiter is documenting how workers' job expectations, and other personal characteristics, interact with their job conditions to shape work experiences. So in this sense, her study amplifies the earlier arguments we reviewed about the key determinants of job satisfaction.

Finally, return to the textbook for a brief section on the relationship between job satisfaction and productivity. Having reviewed many different studies, and a range of arguments about the determinants of job satisfaction, you are in a good position to contemplate whether or not satisfied workers are in fact more productive. Recall from Unit 6's discussion of the human relations school that it has long been assumed by managers that happy workers should be more productive. But as pages 355 to 356 make very clear, this is usually not the case, or at least only true under specific conditions. The ambiguous nature of the job satisfaction - productivity connection should not come as a surprise, however. After all, you now have seen how a long list of factors, ranging from workplace social relations and workers' personal characteristics and attitudes to technology and management style, affect what happens inside an organization.

Practice Exercise

Attempt to integrate the three main themes of this Section: technology, job satisfaction, and productivity by answering this question: What evidence is there in this Section showing how technology's impact on job quality may, in turn, affect both job satisfaction and productivity? You may have to think through the implications of some of the studies reported to generate ideas about these connections.

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Section 6: Alienating and Stressful Work

Thought Questions

As you read, keep the following questions in mind:
  1. What are the similarities and differences between the concepts of job satisfaction, alienation, and job stress?
  2. Why are job conditions which are skilled, autonomous and challenging necessary for worker well-being?

Reading Assignments

Krahn and Lowe, Work, Industry and Canadian Society:

Key Concepts

To review key concepts encountered through the reading, prepare your own explanations of each of the following. Sometimes it is useful to compare related terms, as indicated.

Study Questions

When you have completed the assigned reading, test your understanding of the material by answering the following study questions.
  1. Explain how Marx's concept of alienation differs from a social-psychological perspective on alienation.
  2. Define work-related stress and itemize the major stressors.
  3. Outline the kind of working conditions that are the most stressful, according to the demand-control model of stress.
  4. Describe the person-environment fit approach to stress, indicating how it differs from the demand-control model.
  5. Explain Meissner's argument about the "long arm of the job" (page 356 of the textbook).
  6. Discuss the similarities between Kohn's notion of "occupational self-direction" (page 365 of the textbook) and earlier theories of job satisfaction, alienation, and job stress.

Commentary

This final Section concludes our discussion of subjective work experiences by examining theories and research on alienation, job stress, and "the long arm of the job". While these three topics constitute major areas of research in their own right, it is important to recognize their points of overlap, as well as parallels with earlier discussions of work orientations and job satisfaction. Perhaps the important unifying theme within this section, and between this section and others in this Unit, is what we have all along defined as a "good" job: one that is skilled, offers decision-making autonomy, is interesting and challenging, and provides ample opportunity for personal development. This package of job conditions is described in different language by different researchers, but essentially it is the foundation for healthy, psychological rewarding work. Try searching the reading for other parallels between the different research traditions, but in doing so keep this larger theme in mind.

The first reading, on pages 356 to 359 of the textbook, immediately reminds us of earlier discussions of the humanistic view of the meaning of work. As well, it draws on Unit 2's review of Marx's perspective on the personal consequences of work under capitalism. Note the philosophical nature of Marx's view of alienation, based on assumptions about human nature which give primacy to work. But recall from Unit 2 that Marx's critique of capitalism was rooted in an analysis of objective economic conditions. Hence, central to his notion of alienation is powerlessness stemming from capitalist work relations and organization. Note that Marx expected that the experience of alienated labour would engender class consciousness, ultimately leading to worker revolution. But as Unit 8 has documented, and as Rinehart's article at the beginning of this Unit shows, discontent exists but is usually not expressed in direct political challenges that threaten the existence of capitalism.

Reading on, you once again encounter Blauner's thesis about the relationship between technology and alienation. Here Blauner is presented as representative of the social-psychological approach to alienation. Note the similarities between this approach to alienation and the previous literature on job satisfaction. However, alienation research places more direct emphasis on the concept of worker powerlessness. The flip side of this concept would be worker control exercised through decision-making, which is reminiscent of the sort of situation that some of the QWL work reforms earlier and in Unit 8 advocated. Recall Rinehart's critique of QWL for not giving workers true control, and you will see this connection.

Job control also provides a connection between alienation research and studies of job stress. To orient yourself to the reading on stress, think back to Unit 8's discussion of occupational health and safety. Then we focused more on the physical side of occupational health, but made the point that a broader conception of workplace health was needed to take into account the effects of the work environment on both physical and psychological well-being.

above in this Unit we also noted the stressful effects of balancing work and family, especially in light of the research presented by MacBride-King and Paris. In short, the growing concern about work-related stress reflects the emergence of a more integrative, holistic view of workplace health that looks at the worker as a total human being. So clearly job stress is a central dimension of workers' job experiences.

Pages 361 to 364 outline two contrasting perspectives on job stress. Try to make your own comparisons of these perspectives as you read this selection. The demand-control model essentially says that the kinds of working conditions what we previously documented as dissatisfying and alienating are also stressful, and therefore can have negative consequences for a worker's physical and mental health. While the discussion concentrates on high-stress jobs (the quotes on pages 361 and 362 are most revealing in this regard), perhaps what should also be emphasized is that interesting, autonomous, skilled and challenging work with reasonable demands is a recipe for a healthy workplace.

Looking at the person-environment fit model, note the shift in emphasis toward workers' needs and expectations. This is reminiscent of our earlier discussion of the influence of work orientations on job satisfaction. Earlier discussions in this and previous Units about overqualification (underemployment) and work-family conflict could usefully be reconsidered in light of the person-environment fit's arguments. For example, Duffy and Puppo's analysis of the "part-time paradox" could be interpreted as women coping with the stresses of multiple roles and expectations by reducing their paid work hours. The quote on page 363 underscores this point. But as our analysis of job satisfaction and work orientations, above, also suggested, some workers cope with unrewarding jobs by scaling down their expectations. But such personal adjustments are clearly not solutions to stressful work. For as the demand-control model argues, jobs must be redesigned to fit people's needs and expectations, rather than the other way around.

The final issue in this Section is the general relationship between work and the rest of a person's life. We just touched on this question with regard to women attempting to balance work and family demands. Now we consider other ways in which specific job conditions affect the overall quality of a worker's life. The idea of "the long arm of the job" is Meissner's enduring metaphor for this (page 365 of the textbook). Anyone who has had a particularly stressful job knows how difficult it is to leave this pressure behind at the end of the work day. Indeed, Meissner's research goes further, suggesting that this "spillover" also affects a workers' use of leisure time. Later research, especially by Kohn and his associates, elaborated this proposition. Kohn's idea of occupational self-direction parallels the demand-control model's view of "active jobs" (page 361 of the textbook), not to mention the ingredients of satisfying work itemized earlier in this Section. What is particularly original in Kohn's research, however, is the connection between self-directed work and personality. But recalling Burman's analysis of the effects of unemployment on the "self", it is consistent that having a "good" job would have a positive effect of personality and psychological functioning.

Practice Exercise

Having acquainted yourself with research on work orientations, job satisfaction, alienation, stress, and the impact of work on the overall quality of life, try to identify the working conditions and job characteristics which are the most "healthy". Present a brief "profile" of a healthy job, explaining why you have selected these characteristics.

Supplementary Materials List

Argyle, Michael. The Social Psychology of Work. 2nd ed. London: Penguin, 1989.

Blauner, Robert. Alienation and Freedom: The Factory Worker and His Industry. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1964.

Blackburn, R. M. "Ideologies of work." In David Rose, ed. Social Stratification and Economic Change. London: Hutchinson, 1988.

Canadian Mental Health Association. Work and Well-Being: The Changing Realities of Employment. Toronto: Canadian Mental Health Association, 1984.

Feather, Norman T. The Psychological Impact of Unemployment. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1990.

Furnham, Adrian. The Protestant Work Ethic: The Psychology of Work-Related Beliefs and Behaviours. London: Routledge, 1990.

Hall, Richard. Dimensions of Work. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage, 1986.

Hamilton, Richard F. and James D. Wright. The State of the Masses. New York: Aldine, 1986.

Karasek, Robert and Tores Theorell. Healthy Work: Stress, Productivity, and the Reconstruction of Working Life. New York: Basic Books, 1990.

Kohn, Melvin L. and Carmi Schooler. Work and Personality: An Inquiry into the Impact of Social Stratification. Norwood, NJ: Albex, 1983.

Lowe, Graham S. Women, Paid/Unpaid Work, and Stress. Ottawa: Canadian Advisory Council on the Status of Women, 1989.

Nightingale, Donald. Workplace Democracy: An Enquiry into Employee Participation in Canadian Work Organizations. Toronto: University of Toronto Press,



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