Technological development and the improvement of living and working conditions
- Koganpage Office for Official Publication of the EuropeanCommunities 1990
- 400 p.
This book is the result of a ten-year research programme launched by the European Foundation for the Improvement of Living and Working Conditions, an EC-funded body based in Dublin. The study looked at the two questions most often asked by those in the process of introducing new technology: How can it be most effectively implemented and how can it be used to the best advantage in terms of employees, customers and the public at large? To answer these questions the researchers examined the use of new technology in a wide range of economic activities - from engineering and other manufacturing through banking and insurance to retailing and the public sector. They also looked at the role of new technology in production, in process operations and in the office. In doing so, they were concerned not only with its effects on efficiency and working practices, but also with its impact on management, the workforce, the customer and the consumer of services. The six major reports which make up the bulk of the book are the work of distinguished experts from leading research centres in five community countries. The conclusion is a summary of the debates from the Dublin conference organised by The Foundation to discuss the findings of the research programme. Issues considered include: • Options for the future of work • Identification of problem areas • New technology and the quality of services Participation • Shiftwork • Physical and psychological stress Together, the reports give an informative illustration of current thinking on the subject, and the book as a whole offers an authoritative account of the diverse and far-reaching consequences of technological development as Europe gears up for 1992,