Melanie Milanich wrote:
>
> Futher to Michael and Ed's posts relating to the growth of
> individualism in the western world (and doctor's obsessions with their
> personal portfolios), today's Toronto Star has an article "Free agency
> comes to the shop floor" quoting Roger Martin, dean of the Rotman School
> of Management at the University of Toronto, who expects the workplace to
> evolve into a world of free agents, with workers demanding their own
> work terms just like athletes.
> That, he says, is because the concept of loyalty to an employer is
> fading, while loyalty to one's own career is on the upswing. In time,
> human resources policies where all employees get the same wages,
> benefits and vacations will disappear, Martin argues. Instead, workers
> will demand one-on-one contracts that recognise individual
> needs...customised spaces at home.
[snip]
This strikes me as a "mixed bag". It could lead to "anything" from
the reduction of even the most highly skilled "professionals" to
work-at-home [distributed] sweat-shop *piece workers*, to the
end of the still universal barbaric social custom of renting
human minds and bodies (aka: "wage labor").
I think this is a good time to refer yet again to the Polish
sociologist, Jan Szczepanski's magisterial (and quite short!)
essay:
Szczepanski, J. (1981). Individuality and society.
Impact of science on society, 31(4) 461-466.
It's well worth the small effort of asking your friendly
reference librarian to get a copy. And, if anyone has
access to a Kurzweiler machine (text digitizer), I'd be
glad to edit the raw text and post it for all to read.
"Yours in discourse..."
\brad mccormick
--
Let your light so shine before men,
that they may see your good works.... (Matt 5:16)
Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. (1 Thes 5:21)
Brad McCormick, Ed.D. / [EMAIL PROTECTED]
914.238.0788 / 27 Poillon Rd, Chappaqua NY 10514-3403 USA
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