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From Conflict to Shared Development: Social Capital in a Tayloristic Environment

Author

Listed:
  • Peter Hasle

    (National Research Centre for the Working Environment, Denmark)

  • Niels Møller

    (Technical University of Denmark)

Abstract

The Danish slaughterhouse industry is known for its Tayloristic organization of work, poor industrial relations with frequent wild cat strikes, and a hazardous work environment. However, a few slaughterhouses show big differences in sickness absenteeism, labour turnover and frequency of strikes. These slaughterhouses were studied in order to understand the latitude for cooperation and improvement of the psychosocial work environment. The results revealed that three out of four slaughterhouses studied have moved from a culture based on conflicts and opposing interests to a culture based on mutual trust and respect, thus developing social capital. Developing trust between production managers and shop stewards was the key to the new situation. This happened without jeopardizing the traditional roles of management representatives and shop stewards. The study indicates that there are possibilities of improvement of working conditions under a Taylorized regime based on collaboration between local management and workers. An important factor explaining the results is the strong position of the workers and their unions in the slaughterhouse sector and the general acceptance of unions in the Danish society.

Suggested Citation

  • Peter Hasle & Niels Møller, 2007. "From Conflict to Shared Development: Social Capital in a Tayloristic Environment," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 28(3), pages 401-429, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:sae:ecoind:v:28:y:2007:i:3:p:401-429
    DOI: 10.1177/0143831X07079355
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bart Nooteboom & Frédérique Six (ed.), 2003. "The Trust Process in Organizations," Books, Edward Elgar Publishing, number 2811.
    2. Kristensen, Tage S., 1991. "Sickness absence and work strain among Danish slaughterhouse workers: An analysis of absence from work regarded as coping behaviour," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 15-27, January.
    3. Peter Hasle & Nanette Juhler Hansen & Niels Møller, 2004. "Agreements between Labour Unions and Employers’ Associations as a Strategy for the Prevention of Repetitive Strain Injury," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 25(1), pages 75-101, February.
    4. Bart Nooteboom, 2003. "The trust process," Chapters, in: Bart Nooteboom & Frédérique Six (ed.), The Trust Process in Organizations, chapter 2, Edward Elgar Publishing.
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    Cited by:

    1. Carsten Strøby Jensen, 2011. "The flexibility of flexicurity: The Danish model reconsidered," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 32(4), pages 721-737, November.
    2. Benjamin Hopkins, 2017. "Occupational health and safety of temporary and agency workers," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 38(4), pages 609-628, November.
    3. Monica Rolfsen, 2011. "How close can we dance? Labour–management partnership on a borderline," Economic and Industrial Democracy, Department of Economic History, Uppsala University, Sweden, vol. 32(4), pages 591-608, November.

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