Alan Fox in the shadow of the labour process

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Purpose
The 50th anniversary of Fox's Beyond Contract and Man Mismanagement coincides with another vital contribution to the sociology of work from 1974: Braverman's Labor and Monopoly Capital. This article analyses these two scholars' complementary approaches to job design and the extent to which Fox's ideas influenced subsequent labour process thought.

Design/methodology/approach
The article's methodological approach is a historiographical reading of Fox and Braverman's thought in the context of their times and later scholarship.

Findings
The article demonstrates that despite some noteworthy overlap with Braverman concerning scientific management, Fox's insights were marginal to later iterations of labour process analysis. It delves into the reasons for this relative neglect, providing an understanding of the dynamics at play.

Originality/value
This paper's value lies in its combined industrial relations and labour process historiography. It offers a fresh perspective on Alan Fox's relationship to the latter field of study.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1259-1274
JournalEmployee Relations
Volume46
Issue number6
Early online date19 Apr 2024
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 30 Oct 2024

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Alan Fox in the shadow of the labour process'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this