[lbo-talk] Walmart and Costco

[Erik Hetzner]

2005/5/5, Wojtek Sokolowski <sokol at jhu.edu>:
> Would not that depend on the type of work?  In a taylorized workplace
> productivity is mainly a function of technology rather than the skill or
> motivation of human operators - so motivating labor force with pay
> incentives has little effect on productivity.
> 
> But in a non-taylorized environment, especially one that requires cognitive
> skills, it is a different story.  If employees do not have the required
> skills, paying them more will probably  have little effect on increasing
> productivity.  However, lower wages may provide disincentive to people with
> skills, so they can actually lower productivity by negative selection of the
> workforce.
> 
> Wojtek

But that's precisely what Walmart has done. They've taylorized retail
work; or, if they weren't the first to bring taylor to retail, they've
taken it further than anybody else. They've taylorized everything,
stocking, transport, the floor. And every other large retailer is
trying to catch up.

Erik