Week 1

Question 1

What Is Bureaucracy

Answer 1

most efficient way to organize and structure work

uses hierarchy, rules, impersonality and specialization

excessive strict rules and procedures limits creativity and individuality

Question 2

what happended in the Industrial Revolution

Answer 2

work became more specialized and structured through bureaucratic processes

Question 3

what do Bigger Organizations have

Answer 3

strict rules

placing individuals in a single area of work

deskilling in other areas

good pay and benefits

lower creativity

Question 4

what do Smaller Organizations have

Answer 4

acknowledge expertise

are more flexible

lower pay

Question 5

Pros and Cons of Bureaucracy

Answer 5

pros:
- efficient
- work is easy to understand
- work is predictable

cons:
- impersonality
- deskilling
- dehumanizing
- work is controlling

Question 6

factors of Deskilling Argument

Answer 6

reduces skill levels

reduces autonomy

lower wages due to lower amount of skill needed

simplifies jobs

Question 7

factors of Upgrading and Enskilling Argument

Answer 7

can do more intense or intricate work

peoples whose jobs are eliminated will get new and improved training –> move up in positions and responsibility

better pay as a result of these workers with new skill sets

maintenance workers are constantly kept bust

Question 8

what are the 4 Mixed Effects of Deskilling and Upgrading

Answer 8

can occur at the same time depending on job and adaptability

tech can boost people in certain positions or take over

causes hierarchy in labour markets

negative impacts lead to high turnover

Question 9

what is Clerical Work

Answer 9

used to be manly, prestigious occupations

mostly a female field now where tasks have been broken down into smaller parts

lower skill requirement

Question 10

Scientific Management - F.W Taylor

Answer 10

F.W Taylor

how work can be down more effectively

workers do the bare minimum and their routines could be made more productive

discussed time and motion studies (how can you set up your work environment for efficiency)

Question 11

what is the Piece Rate Pay Schemes

Answer 11

pay people based on their production and outcomes to encourage productivity and reward

workers can’t work as quickly or efficiently as others

Question 12

what are the 5 factors of Gig Economy

Answer 12

electronic platforms have digitalized work and promoted businesses

more short term and self employed jobs

independence

paid per task

airbnb, uber

Question 13

what are the 5 Types of Workers in the Gig Economy

Answer 13

1) technologists or coders

2) cloud based consultants or freelancers

3) services engaged via the platform but perform work offline

4) micro - tasking

5) social media

Question 14

what is Globalization - 6 factors

Answer 14

changed through tech advancement for global communication and faster travel (train, plane, truck)

economic agreement and interdepended economies are connected and use each other for trade

global expansion makes it easier for businesses to relocate

improves income and workplace conditions

higher employment rate

negative: countries become highly dependent on others which affect countries supply chains

Question 15

what are the 3 Different Types of Forces

Answer 15

technologies

gender social divisions

race and class divisions

Question 16

What does the old economy represent

Answer 16

various ways of assigning and structuring work that developed in the wake of the Industrial Revolution through the mid 20th century

Question 17

how is the concept of a new economy used and what does it examine

Answer 17

to examine the question of whether the nature of work has changed

extent to which these changes are affecting lives on and off the job

Question 18

What did Sigmund Freud argue

Answer 18

he argued that work is a socially accepted means by which humans can direct their divert sexual energies

Question 19

What did Karl Marx argue

Answer 19

argued that work is what distinguishes humans from other species

how it enables people to transform their work environment to suit human interests

Question 20

What did Emile Durkheim argue

Answer 20

that work and the complex division of labour in society offered a means to create social cohesion

Question 21

what are the 3 factors of How Technology Influences Work

Answer 21

deskilling argument

upgrading / enskilling argument

mixed effects position

Question 22

what are Time and Motion Studies

Answer 22

finding ways to have the set ups so people can work fluidity and quickly without wasting time

be as efficient as possible

Question 23

what is luddites

Answer 23

social movement

workers fought against technological innovations

Question 24

What is technological fix

Answer 24

idea that if introducing the right technologies we can fix our problems

example ; weight loss supplements

Question 25

What is Matrix

Answer 25

idea that instead of hierarchy from top down -- it has horizontal divisons of label and flatter organizations

Question 26

What is Adhocracy

Answer 26

common goals and shared visions of an organizations but no clear consensus of how to make ideas successful

Question 27

what is Veblen's Theory of Leisure Class

Answer 27

attitudes to work are bound up with materialistic values held in American culture --> markers of status such as luxury cars, large homes, expensive clothing

Question 28

Taylorism

Answer 28

a managerial philosophy created to increase the productivity of workers in labouring factories

Question 29

what does social structure maintain

Answer 29

what kinds of jobs are available who gets which jobs how earnings are distributed

Question 30

what is Karl Marx's analysis of class structures

Answer 30

capitalism creates class divisions - workers vs employers inherently polarized

Question 31

3 most dominant forces that shape work oppotunity - CSA

Answer 31

culture structure agency

Question 32

according to Weber, why does work play such a central role in some societies but not in others

Answer 32

societies leading the Industrial Revolution were influenced by evolving religious beliefs

Question 33

what is Veblens theory in "the theory of the leisure class"

Answer 33

he observed that attitudes in work are bound up with materialistic values held in American culture --> markers of status income luxury cars, large homes, expensive clothing

Question 34

what is affluenza

Answer 34

the compulsion to purchase and spend beyond one's means

Question 35

what is one way that culture plays a role in creating social inequality

Answer 35

through the construction of social divisions and boundaries

Question 36

What was the goal of Taylorism in the early 20th century?

Answer 36

To increase worker productivity in factories by redesigning work and shifting control from workers to managers.

Question 37

What key concept is introduced in Taylor's Principles of Scientific Management?

Answer 37

The separation of "thought" (managerial planning/design) from "execution" (worker labor).

Question 38

How did Taylor use time and motion studies?

Answer 38

To break down production tasks into simple components to improve speed and accuracy.

Question 39

What were the consequences of Taylorism for workers?

Answer 39

Deskilling of jobs Loss of craft skills Reduced control over work conditions and rewards Increased distrust between workers and bosses

Question 40

Why did Taylor advocate for scientific management despite its negative effects on workers?

Answer 40

He believed workers were not working to their full potential and needed structure and incentives to be more productive

Question 41

What cultural assumptions underpinned Taylor's ideas?

Answer 41

Beliefs in the correctness of capitalism that owners and top workers are naturally more valuable that inequality in labor rewards is desirable

Question 42

How did scientific management influence modern work culture?

Answer 42

It laid the groundwork for alienating, low-wage “McJobs” and division between white-collar (thinking) and blue-collar (doing) labor.

Question 43

What cultural legacy did scientific management leave?

Answer 43

It normalized the view that some people should be paid to think while others only labor, creating systemic inequality in job roles and value.

Question 44

What questions are raised about work culture in today’s economy?

Answer 44

Whether cultural attitudes about work have changed Why Americans work so much If Taylorist ideas about workers being lazy still shape the workplace

Question 45

What are “contradictory class locations”?

Answer 45

Class positions that mix characteristics of both higher and lower classes, making it hard to categorize some modern workers

Question 46

What are some ways bosses and workers try to gain power at work

Answer 46

Firing people making work faster using new technology going on strike sometimes damaging work on purpose (sabotage)

Question 47

What argument does the textbook make about class and employment?

Answer 47

Social class remains a major factor in shaping employment opportunities and access to resources in the new economy

Question 48

How did the Industrial Revolution impact job availability?

Answer 48

It reduced agricultural jobs, mechanized many tasks, and introduced new skills and factory labor, displacing many traditional occupations.

Question 49

What is “creative destruction,” according to Joseph Schumpeter

Answer 49

The process by which new technologies replace older production methods, making some jobs and needs obsolete.

Question 50

What kinds of jobs have emerged in the late 20th century?

Answer 50

Interactive service jobs that rely on social interaction and emotional labor.

Question 51

What emotional demands are placed on interactive service workers?

Answer 51

They must manage emotions, display warmth, and make clients feel comfortable—skills that can cause emotional burnout

Question 52

How have technological advancements reshaped traditional jobs?

Answer 52

Jobs like bank tellers and production workers now rely on computerized systems, altering tasks and oversight

Question 53

How has the concept of time and space in work changed?

Answer 53

allows for more flexible work but also blurs work-life boundaries and increase employer intrusion into personal time

Question 54

What are the potential pros and cons of flexible scheduling in the new economy?

Answer 54

Pros: Liberation from the 9-to-5 grind; work-life balance Cons: Work may intrude on personal time, demanding round-the-clock availability.

Question 55

How does demography affect the labor force in the new economy?

Answer 55

It influences who is available to work and what jobs are accessible based on age, gender, race, and ethnicity.

Question 56

How do demographic factors like gender and race shape the economy?

Answer 56

They influence access to top leadership roles, types of jobs people are funneled into, and opportunities within neighborhoods.