In Richard Donkin’s book The History of Work, chapters seventeen through nineteen continue the story of the development of work and industry. In Chapter seventeen, Donkin shows how workers after World War II attitudes changed towards the workplace. Veterans coming back from the war with confidence and more militancy as people wanted change based upon the sacrifices that everyone made during the war. (Donkin 231-32). The principles of Scientific Management was used throughout the war by many countries, and was indoctrinated into business practices in most industrial countries. (Donkin 232). In the United States the management of most companies was with the attitude of management knows best, without the need of employee input. (Donkin 232).
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Men such as John Lewis, and Konosuke Matsushita were concerned about the welfare of their employees and established employee benefits that made them virtual co-owners with vested interest in their companies. (Donkin 250-55). Management writer Charles Handy espouses, that companies should be social institutions and become good corporate citizens getting away from the primary concern with profit for shareholders. (Donkin 254-55). John Maynard Keynes promoted public works programs during the Great Depression to help restore the county economically which was implemented by President Franklin Roosevelt. (Donkin 256-57). Employment Stock Ownership ESOP, was introduced by Louis Kelso, a San Francisco lawyer as a method for giving some ownership of companies to employees. (Donkin 256).This agreement and the economic factors in the 1980’s did not save the steel industry from losing jobs in the U.S., as Japanese imports with cheaper prices severely damaged the industry. The ESOP’s were used as bargaining investments to try to save the struggling industry, but even with newer more efficient processes and less labor management acrimony, the industry couldn’t stave off job losses. (Donkin 259). Trying to change the work environment and increase employee productivity let to the implementation of “hot desking,” where workers share desks when coming into the office where they only work
Men such as John Lewis, and Konosuke Matsushita were concerned about the welfare of their employees and established employee benefits that made them virtual co-owners with vested interest in their companies. (Donkin 250-55). Management writer Charles Handy espouses, that companies should be social institutions and become good corporate citizens getting away from the primary concern with profit for shareholders. (Donkin 254-55). John Maynard Keynes promoted public works programs during the Great Depression to help restore the county economically which was implemented by President Franklin Roosevelt. (Donkin 256-57). Employment Stock Ownership ESOP, was introduced by Louis Kelso, a San Francisco lawyer as a method for giving some ownership of companies to employees. (Donkin 256).This agreement and the economic factors in the 1980’s did not save the steel industry from losing jobs in the U.S., as Japanese imports with cheaper prices severely damaged the industry. The ESOP’s were used as bargaining investments to try to save the struggling industry, but even with newer more efficient processes and less labor management acrimony, the industry couldn’t stave off job losses. (Donkin 259). Trying to change the work environment and increase employee productivity let to the implementation of “hot desking,” where workers share desks when coming into the office where they only work