People factors of robotics and automation: European views

Abstract

The industrial revolution brought wealth and health to many nations, but not necessarily to those workers being part of a far-reaching division of labor. In the U.S.A., Taylor's School of Scientific Management further increased productivity in industry by diversifying and expanding the division of labor: automation is a logical extension of this Taylorism. In Europe, it is commonplace to have a tripartite approach to working life issues in general and the introduction of new technology in particular, the government creates a frame for workplace democracy, and the terms are specified in labor-management agreements. OC/OWL programs are considered to be too narrow/vague to bring about the worklife restructuring needed in computer-based production. Adopting a long-term perspective it is found productive to seek holistic solutions and bring together issues like occupational health, co-determination, job design, work organization, renumeration, skills development, and production technology. A conclusion of the review is that R&D efforts in the U.S.A increasingly should be directed on converging the 'technology fix' and 'people fix' approaches.