Workers' Attitudes: An Empirical Study of the "Technology" Thesis

Abstract

The "technology" thesis states that workers on assembly-line and other rationalized mass-production jobs have their higher-order needs for autonomy, responsibility and job-interest frustrated by the routine nature of their tasks and hence have low job satisfaction. Opponents of the thesis assert that the manual worker's primary values are determined by extra-organizational factors such as social-class membership and social role, and are typically oriented to extrinsic rewards such as pay and security; hence the thesis is of limited value. Data gaihered from three samples of manual workers generally supported the thesis, showing a group of assembly-line type freezing workers to have lower satis faction, lower self-esteem, and a more instrumental orientation to work than groups of construction carpenters and watersiders. However, the results sug gested that worker values are dynamic and vary according to the issue under consideration. Extrinsic factors had a relatively high influence in determining job occupancy, while intrinsic and technological factors had more influence on job satisfaction. Hence the technology thesis must be set in its total context of worker priorities and opportunities.