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Engineers' work on the move: challenges in automobile engineering in a globalized world
[journal article]
Abstract "Engineering work in the German automotive industry is currently being dictated by corporate reorganization processes. These are driven by processes of informatization, financialization, and globalization, and evince an increase in the (global) division of labor in product development, as well as an... view more
"Engineering work in the German automotive industry is currently being dictated by corporate reorganization processes. These are driven by processes of informatization, financialization, and globalization, and evince an increase in the (global) division of labor in product development, as well as an increase in competitive pressures. Being able to deal with information and knowledge is important for coping with these processes at work. In terms of engineers' work, this means that engineers must be able to deal with the increasing amounts of information available in the form of benchmark figures, data, etc., as well as with the challenges presented by work shared in global networks. This paper presents the results of a series of qualitative interviews. The main trends that can be pointed out are the 'enucleation' (removing the core) of engineering work, the loss of autonomy, increasing insecurity, and the changing materiality of the objects worked on. Enucleation processes are increasingly changing older engineers' fields of work. More and more, they are being called upon to take over communication and coordination practices. In connection with increasing insecurity, employees' perception of their own position in the company is changing and, in the end, their strategies of action, as well." (author's abstract)... view less
Keywords
production; on-the-job safety; engineer; reorganization; informatization; labor; organizational change; division of labor; new technology; information society; globalization; knowledge society; automobile industry; work organization; flexibility
Classification
Sociology of Work, Industrial Sociology, Industrial Relations
Method
qualitative empirical; empirical
Free Keywords
engineers' work; informatization; globalization; financialization; engineering restructuring; enucleation
Document language
English
Publication Year
2011
Page/Pages
p. 1-21
Journal
Engineering Studies: Journal of the International Network for Engineering Studies (2011)
Status
Preprint; reviewed
Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works