IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/cup/jinsec/v3y2007i03p293-322_00.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The division of labor in the firm: Agency, near-decomposability and the Babbage principle

Author

Listed:
  • REINSTALLER, ANDREAS

Abstract

This paper devises a simulation model that combines insights from the evolutionary perspective on the division of labor with ideas from the labor process literature. It characterizes technical change and the development of a near-decomposable production process as the outcome of technological search and of organizational problem solving, where the conflict between workers and firms over the organization of work plays a central role. It is argued that a near-decomposable organization of the production process also allows management to tighten its control over workers. Consequently, more extensive divisions of labor within a firm develop where the power of workers to oppose decisions by the management is low. In these scenarios the performance of firms is also highest. The model is used to interpret historical evidence about different development paths in technical change in the UK and the US at the beginning of the twentieth century.

Suggested Citation

  • Reinstaller, Andreas, 2007. "The division of labor in the firm: Agency, near-decomposability and the Babbage principle," Journal of Institutional Economics, Cambridge University Press, vol. 3(3), pages 293-322, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:cup:jinsec:v:3:y:2007:i:03:p:293-322_00
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S1744137407000732/type/journal_article
    File Function: link to article abstract page
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Danny MacKinnon & Andrew Cumbers & Andy Pike & Kean Birch & Robert McMaster, 2009. "Evolution in Economic Geography: Institutions, Political Economy, and Adaptation," Economic Geography, Clark University, vol. 85(2), pages 129-150, April.
    2. Ron Boschma & Koen Frenken, 2009. "Some Notes on Institutions in Evolutionary Economic Geography," Economic Geography, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 85(2), pages 151-158, April.
    3. Anna Dimitrova & Katarina Hollan & Daphne Channa Laster & Andreas Reinstaller & Margit Schratzenstaller & Ewald Walterskirchen & Teresa Weiss, 2013. "Literature Review on Fundamental Concepts and Definitions, Objectives and Policy Goals as well as Instruments Relevant for Socio-ecological Transition. WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 40," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 47015, April.
    4. Andreas Reinstaller, 2012. "Modularity and its Implications for the Theory of the Firm," Chapters, in: Michael Dietrich & Jackie Krafft (ed.), Handbook on the Economics and Theory of the Firm, chapter 32, Edward Elgar Publishing.
    5. Andrea Pacella, 2008. "The Effects Of Labour Market Flexibility In The Monetary Theory Of Production," Metroeconomica, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(4), pages 608-632, November.
    6. Andreas Reinstaller, 2011. "The Modularity of Technology and Organisations. Implications for the Theory of the Firm," WIFO Working Papers 398, WIFO.
    7. Andreas Reinstaller, 2013. "An Evolutionary View on Social Innovation and the Process of Economic Change. WWWforEurope Working Paper No. 43," WIFO Studies, WIFO, number 47018, April.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:cup:jinsec:v:3:y:2007:i:03:p:293-322_00. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Kirk Stebbing (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.cambridge.org/joi .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.