Work Organisation in Practice: From Taylorism to Sustainable Work Organisations

This textbook provides an overview of organisation models used in practice from over a century ago to the present day. It outlines the effects these models have on efficiency, learning, innovation and workers’ health and offers critical reflections for students. Some of the models covered are Taylorism, bureaucracy, the socio-technical school, process organisation such as lean production, learning organisations, knowledge management, project organising including agile, platform economy, professional organisations, new public management and sustainable organisations. Featuring learning objectives and reflective questions for students of organisation studies and design, this textbook has a pedagogical structure based on the division of work and the coordination of work. Conclusions are presented on contemporary work organisation models’ impact on working life, ultimately encouraging students to ask the question, how can we create more sustainable work organisations.

About the Author

P-O Börnfelt is a lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Work Science, University of Gothenburg in Sweden. His Work Organisation in Practice textbook was first published in Swedish, and it is used as a textbook at several universities in Sweden. His research focus is on whistleblowing, voice and silence at work.