Limits of the Division of Labour. New Production and Employment Concepts in West German Industry

Abstract

The following article refers to empirical research conducted in West German industry some years ago. -First we inform roughly about the conceptual and empirical characteristics of our analysis (points 1 to 5). After that we describe the main findings (points 6 to 12). Our main argument is that we are at the turning point in the development of the strategies and methods of capitalist rationalization ('new concepts of production') a change which includes new forms in the use of labour within the main sectors of industry ('professionalization'). These new concepts offer openings for many workers in the major industrial areas. But they also have a dark side which is the rigid exclusion of other parts of the workforce. The lively reception our studies have met in West German scientific and political debate gives, in our eyes, summa summarum support to our position. The argument that, in fact, we have new concepts of production has never been disproved; and the disputes have concentrated on questions about the relevance of the change and how to handle the change politically. On the other hand and this is, for us, a convergence of ideas which is particularly important our arguments fit into the main results of analyses coming from new research and experiences obviously different from our own background. We refer mainly to Piore and Sabel (1984), but also to Baethge and Oberbeck (1986).