Technology and employment in industry

Since the publication of the first edition of this book in 1975, similar work has been done within the framework of the World Employment Programme, as well as elsewhere. It was therefore felt appropriate to issue a revised and enlarged edition of the book which took account of the scope and conclusions of the more recent research work. Besides an expanded introduction and conclusions, this revised edition includes an additional chapter on leather shoe manufacture and brick-making in Malaysia.

The issue of technological choice is a hardy perennial. Yet by the mid-1970s, in spite of much theoretical debate and some empirical work, all that could be said with some certainty as a basis for the establishment of general policy in the matter was that the technical choice was wide in agriculture and con struction but very limited in manufacturing. The reason for remaining at that level of generalisation was the lack of representative information on "inter mediate" or "appropriate" techniques actually in use, collected on the basis of the study of practical decisions made by entrepreneurs at the plant or firm level. The first edition of this work, which was a product of the technology and employment component of the ILO World Employment Programme, was designed to help fill this gap.