Technological Change and the Division of Labor

The Case of Retail Meatcutters

Datos Bibliográficos

ID2362899
AutoresJohn P Walsh (0000-0001-8568-9289, University of Illinois Chicago, autor de correspondencia)
Año1989
Volumen16
Número2
Páginas165-183
Fecha de publicación1989-05-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaWork and Occupations (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0730-8884 • E-ISSN: 1552-8464
EditorialSAGE Publications Inc (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1177/0730888489016002004
OpenAlexW2004992157
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas10
Referencias citadas17

This article examines the effects of technological changes on the division of labor and skill requirements for a craft occupation (meatcutter) in a service industry (retail food). The article defines skill as a multidimensional concept with three components (technical competence, scarcity, and high status) and emphasizes the importance of contextual factors on deskilling. The analysis suggests that deskilling is not a linear function of technological innovation. Rather, new technology can either increase or decrease workers' skills, and workers can have some control over which technology gets introduced. Deskilling technology is dependent on the ability to develop a market for standardized goods, which can be difficult, if not impossible, for certain structurally diverse markets

Business · Craft · Deskilling · Division of labour · Economics · Industrial organization · Labour economics · Management · Market economy · Scarcity · Technological change · Employment and Welfare Studies · Engineering · Global trade, sustainability, and social impact · Labor market dynamics and wage inequality · Marketing