[lbo-talk] factchecking the small business mystique

shag carpet bomb shag at cleandraws.com
Thu Jan 28 19:59:47 PST 2010


At 10:35 PM 1/28/2010, Doug Henwood wrote:
>Didn't Michael Burawoy write about this? Can't remember the term, but
>not necessarily good for the revo. Goofing off lets off steam and
>reduces desire to off the boss.
>
>Doug

What I mean is, it's a sign that people don't completely buy into the work ethic. They aren't total tools. They rip off the company, etc. Which means there's a kernel of resistance to work with.

as I've said before: Every mack want they scrilla back. http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/2004/2004-March/006728.html

Burawoy wrote about how people worked even harder at their jobs. The piece rate system he studied created the illusion that work was a game. The workers were shifted in and out of jobs, so they created a game of how to make their most at their piece rate without going over quota so much that they busted rate. (I got bitched at for busting rate as a 16 year old) If you bust rate management thinks: WTF? I guess they can produce more, so lets raise the rate. What workers ended up doing is manufacturing consent to their own exploitation.

shag

-- http://cleandraws.com Wear Clean Draws ('coz there's 5 million ways to kill a CEO)



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