Post-Fordist Theory, Labour Process and Flexibility and Autonomy in Australian Workplaces

Abstract

This article contributes to the ongoing debates about labour flexibility by subjecting some central theoretical claims to empirical scrutiny. Specifically, competing propositions drawn from the theoretical schools referred to as post-Fordism and neo-Fordism form the basis for the central research problem addressed in the paper. These propositions concern the alleged links between ‘labour process flexibility’ and autonomy. Post-Fordist theory holds that various manifestations of this sort of flexibility are associated with a fundamental transformation of work and the empowerment of employees. In contrast, neo-Fordist theorists argue that no such transformation is likely, and that in fact such..