On Tue, 23 Sep 2003, Kelley wrote:
> At 02:53 PM 9/23/03 -0700, Miles Jackson wrote:
> >So I guess my question is: How does parecon deal with
> >the fact that reasonable people differ dramatically
> >in their perceptions of the same task? Who gets to
> >determine whether a task is categorized as demanding
> >or pleasurable?
>
> I worked for a catering company that organized its staffing in a modified
> form of parecon. It was based in Ithaca, NY. but it wasn't ideology but
> necessity that brought us to this form of organization. Later, it was not
> necessity any longer, but the realization that it was much better to work
> this way: we worked together better, we were most cost efficient, there
> were fewer antagonisms, the turnover rate was low because people didn't get
> bored.
Interesting story. It sounds like fun to work in an environment like that, and I see the organizational advantages. You say it's a "modified" form of parecon: from your stories about the work environment, though, you didn't have "balanced" work complexes (shouldn't the CEO been in there with you guys every week, not just for big events?). I like the principle of sharing the work, and if this is all people mean by parecon, I'm all for it. I just have doubts about implementing it in the meticulous way that Michael suggests.
Miles