Technological development and the improvement of living and working conditions

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,