DOCUMENT RESUME ED 105 137 CE 003 399 AUTHOR Rosow, Jerome M., Ed. TITLE The Worker and the Job: Coping with Change. INSTITUTION American Assembly, New York, N.Y. PUB DATE 74 NOTE 218p. AVAILABLE FROM Prentice-Hall, Inc., Egnlewood Cliffs, New Jersey 07632 ($2.45 paper cover, $6.95 cloth cover) EDRS PRICE MF-$0.76 HC Not Available from EDRS. PLUS POSTAGE DESCRIPTORS Cultural Factors; *Economic Change; Economic Factors; Essays; *Futures (of Society); *Job Satisfaction; *Labor Force; Labor Unions; Negroes; Organizational Change; Policy Formation; *Social Change; Vocational Adjustment; Won.:Attitudes; Work Environment IDENTIFIERS *Job Enrichment ABSTRACT The collection of essays presents the pros and cons of the assertation "improving the place, the organization, and the nature of work can lead to better work performance and a better quality of life in the society." In the overview section, Daniel Yankelovich discusses man and hiJ relationship to his family and society at large, with work as the traditional linchpin of these relationships. Cultural trends and their relationship to the work ethic are discussed, Eli Ginzberg reviews the employment-related dimensions of the American economy over the past several generations, focusing especially on blacks: women, and youth. The contemporary issues section focusses on worker satisfaction from three viewpoints: George Strauss concentrates on the workers themselves; Agis Salpukas considers the future role of the unions in improving the quality in working life; and Peter Henie examines the economic effects of worker satisfaction. The third section consists of two chapters focusing on change and future. Richard E. Walton presents the findings of research on innivative restructuring of work, while Sam Zagoria discusses policy implications and a future agenda for achieving job satisfaction. (A subject index is included.) (AG) S-AA-34 $2.45 THE (S2.75 Canada) WORKER Asncir.m AND THEJOB Coping with Change Edited by Jerome M. Rosow rc. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH. EDUCATION & WELFARE PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE THIS NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF COPYRIGHTED MATERIAL 05 MICRO. EDUCATION EJ,CHE ONLY H45 EIEENORANT,E9 ()Y THIS DOCUMENT HAS OEEN REPRO DUCED EXACTLY AS RECEIVED FROM par bc.m..L... THE PERSON OR ORGANIZATION ORIGIN PrkiAilcf A TiNG IT POINTS OF VIEW OR OPINIONS ERC ANL. ORGANIZATIONS OF' _RAT STATED 00 NOT NECESSARILY REPRE NC.,,NDER AGREEMENTS WITH THE NA SENT OFFICIAL NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TONAL INSTITUTE OF EDUCATION EDUCATION POSITION OR POLICY ruRTHER REPRODUCTION OUTSIDE THE ERIC SYSTEM REQUIRES PERMS SION Or THE COPYRIGHT OWNER THE AMERICAN ASSEMBLY a nivelsit,11i (4141100.1,0. Wabo,Co PW.COS'AGV-, Nsseob\i, 00000'0- i.0evi.c0.Ve V, COSIG Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Main entry under tide: The uorkcr and the job. (A Spectrum Book) At head of title: The American Assembly. Columbia linhcrsitY. Background papers (or the 43d American Assembly, Arden House. Harriman. N. Y., Nor. 1973. Includes bibliographical references. I. Labor and laboring classesUnited States Congresses.2. Job satisfactionCongresscs. I. Rwow. Jerome M.. ed.II. American Assembly. 111/8072AVSIS 331.2 74-765 ISBN 3-96:169-6 ISBN 0-13- 965350 -3 (pbk.) C) 1974 by The American Assembly, Columbia University, under International and Pan-Amman Copyright Comentions. All rights reserved. No part of this book inay be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the publisher. Printed in the United States of America. to 9 8 76 5 432 1 PRENTICE-DALL INTERNATIONAL, INC. (London) PRENTICE-I 'ALL OF AUSTRALIA PTY., LTD. (Sydney) PRENTICEIIALL OF CANADA, LTD. (oronto) PRwrict:-1 /ALI. OF INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED (New Delhi) PRENTICE-I 'ALI, OF JAPAN, INC. (Tokyo) 5 Table of Contents Preface vii Jerome M. Rosow, Editor Introduction PART ONE: AN OVERVIEW Daniel Yankelovich 1The Meaning of Work Ig Eli Ginzbcrg 2 The Changing American Economy and Labor Force 49 PART TWO: CONTEMPORARY ISSUES George Strauss 3Workers: 73 Attitudes and Adjustments Agis Saipuhas 4Unions: 99 A New Role? Peter Henle 5 Economic Effects: 119 Reviewing the Evidence PART THREE: NEW HORIZONS Richard E. TValton 6Innovative Restructuring of Work 145 6 vi Table of Contents Sam Zagoria 7 Policy Implications and Future Agenda 177 Index 203 The American Assembly 209 Preface The premise of this book, edited by Jerome M. Rosow ofExxon Corpora- tion, is that the American world of work is caughtup in the cross currents of rapid change and that our society therefore oughtto take a new and larger view of this world and a look at the quality of life it reflects. As the participants of the Forty third American Assembly (TheChanging World of Work) at Arden House, November1073, concluded in then final report, "improving the place, the organization, and the nature of workcan lead to better work performance anda better quality of life in the society." The essays which follow discuss the pros andcons of that assertion; and no matter where the authors come out they agree that the questions posedare vital to the enlargement of public understandingfor thelives of all of us are organized around out jobs and the work ethic embedded inour cultural values. The American Assembly is a national public affairs forum andremains neutral in its attitude toward the subjects presented. The Assemblyshould be held accountable for the conduct of the forum butnot for the opinions therein, or herein, which belong to the participants themselves. Similarly,no of _! should assume that the financial supporter of this American Assembly programThe Ford Foundationendorses the opinionson these pages. Clifford C. Nelson President The American Assembly 8 The Energy Crisis and the World of Work: A Note The energy crisis has created a new urgency for change at the work place Today the human side of the ewe' prise looms as a ernieal factor in the accommodation of industry to a period of scatuty. Shortages of energy, of materials, and of equipment are evident. The major hidden rest/time is the wit Ipped human pu.ential of the work. Eerie within each organization in our society. At this time of rising unit labor costs, general inflationary pressures, and the need tc temain competitive, companies must turn to their workers to achieve the ac;ustment effectively. Greater humanization of working life can be ad- vaneed in conceit with measures to increase productivity, reduce waste, and increase the conservation of energy and materials. The key element involves the active participation of workers at all levels in these mutual goals. The ducat of a new era of scarcity presents new motivations for management to take a flesh look at old values, rigid practices, and extravagant pit/grams which have placed zi low value upon the human factor. Irrespective of the degree of automation, mechanization, or computerization, every system depends upon people. These employees have a real desire to do mute. to carry meaningful responsibility, and to Live pusunal involvement in decisions and actions affecting their jobs and their products. This applies to almost every occupation and every organization. Employees also have a strong sense of survival and an anxiety to preserve their jobs at a time of major economic readjustment. The first and most logical place for productive in- volvement is at the work place. Now is the time fin expetimentation and change to bring the talents of employees to bear on the era of scarcity. REDESIGN OF WORKING HOURS There are two interesting options which present themselves: The Four Day WeekLA igcr hours eaeli day in exchange for a full day off is an energy saving option. It would save energy for everyone the worker, the eumpanytild the community faulities. Although the foul-day week ap- plies to a very small fraction of American business at tin., time, the rapid shift in eumomic un,litions pushes this option to the forefront. Maximum ix 9 The Energy Crisis and the World of Work savings would be achieved if die entice opelation shifts to four days, how- ever. the Mime in plant timid ren,ain op.:rational five 01 evensix days a wick. The cinplipices would only be rt.:quilt:it to N%01 k four dayby alternating thin. schedules(e.g.,NIonilay-Thiirsda, "FuesdayEriday, and 'Wednesday- Saturday) 11licie t lc operation could close lot duce days e%ely week, this could be inuniottAl through communitywitle action and possibly linked whit the foul -d% school week. The (Allergy savings hut. would be substantial. The rtun.a e, elliticlicy, and job .satisfaction gains would also besubstantial. thet twolinds of the companies which have adopted the four day week attest to significant productivity gains. In retCmt sutvcys Lill IC foot tits of the vvoikcis 11.1%e intlicattal inipluvcintaits in family life, recreation, and job satis- faction and interest in their work. les timeThis is a new trend in 'Western Europe. It gives workers greater freedom and individuality of life-styles walnut any adverse (Sects on produc- tivity. The worker owes a fixed number of hours each week or eachmonth. 'Within (Amain linuts such as a maximum and minimum number of hours emit day us certain fixtal pettods when attendance is compulsory, i.e., to A.m. to 3 P.m.), the worker may culne to work and leave work at timesof his own choosing. The workcr may select longer hums olie day than another, Nary the paticru to utter pctsolial needs, and even accumulate enough extra hours to take a halday of even a whole day off. Flexitime is a natural for the encigy crisis. It would lisperse people in bilge uthan areas and LILA, down the peaking of travel every morning and every evening. It would facilitate car pools, ease pressures onurban trans- portation, and give workers a greater pctsonal Election', which theydesire.