Shop-floor workers’ responses to quality management initiatives
Broadening the Disciplined Worker Thesis
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 7423740 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Linda Glover (De Montfort University, corresponding author), Mike Noon (0000-0002-0332-0590, Queen Mary University of London, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2005 |
| Volume | 19 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 727-745 |
| Publication date | 2005-11-11 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Work Employment and Society (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0950-0170 • E-ISSN: 1469-8722 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/0950017005058056 |
| OpenAlex | W2162540046 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 37 |
Quality management (QM) is now a mainstream management initiative, but few researchers have explored worker experiences of it. An exception is found in the work of Edwards et al. (1998) who make an important contribution by offering the ‘disciplined worker thesis’ (meaning that workers prefer an ordered and disciplined work environment over disorganization or chaos) as a basis for explaining why workers may respond positively to QM initiatives, despite finding that these often require extra effort. We explore the utility of this concept by reference to empirical data from two detailed case studies. We found the disciplined worker thesis to be substantive but not comprehensive, in that it leaves some inexplicable results. In particular it does not capture the non-work factors that shaped workers responses to QM initiatives. As a result, we suggest that the conceptual remit of the disciplined worker thesis could usefully be enlarged to incorporate ‘orientations to work
Business · Empirical research · Epistemology · Mainstream · Meaning (existential · Political science · Public relations · Quality (philosophy · Sociology · Work (physics · Engineering · Law · Management and Organizational Studies · Management Theory and Practice · Psychology · Quality and Supply Management
Britain at Work
Identity Regulation as Organizational Control
On the Front Line
Understanding the Meaning of Participation
Basics of Qualitative Research
Worker Responses to Quality Organisation
Keeping It in the Family
The Affluent Worker
Working-Class Images of Society
Management Practices and Employee Attitudes
Understanding Consumption
Vocabularies of Motive and the 'New' Management
Work Organization, Control and the Experience of Work in Call Centres
Commitment at Work and Independence From Management
Someone to Watch Over Me
Coping With World Class Manufacturing
Ain't Misbehavin'? Opportunities for Resistance under New Forms of 'Quality' Management
| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,05 |
| Citation span | 2006 - 2006 (1) |
| Citation velocity | historical |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |