The purpose of this research is to examine the ramifications of technology installation suggested by the hypothetical introduction of a machine into a factory that makes Oliver North dolls. The plan of the research will be to set forth an analysis, based on evidence from Shaiken's Work_Transformed, of such ramifications from the point of view of managers on one hand and workers on the other, and then to discuss, with reference to a real life workplace situation, the social as well as mechanical components of technology in the work setting.
As the owner of the Ollie North Dollie Factory, I can easily
justify the introduction of a machine that produces dolls. Volume production and consistency of product are only the beginning. A machine is also flexible; it can be retooled easily, so that one kind of doll can be made one day, and another kind the next day. As long as market demand for Ollie dolls is strong, the machinery can respond quickly and get inventory into the marketplace quickly. This can eliminate tedious hand assembly of dolls as well as the surplus workers required to do the labor. Also, the entire factory will be more orderly and organized, and management will be able to quantify every step of the production process. Quality control and standardization of product will also arise. Workers who are used to assembling Ollie dolls may have to be retrained in assembling other dolls, and this takes time that should be reserved for production. A machine doesn't have to be retrained but only reprogrammed. A machine's volume can be regulated from a computer keyboard and not by a manager who has to worry about personalities when getting more or fewer products packaged for delivery. Also, hand assembly even after
training is slow compared to machine assembly, which means there may be a time delay between orders and production. If the delay is too long, market demand for the product may decline, so that by the time t...