Through the book Rivethead, Ben Hamper (1986) depicts an evident picture of a working life from the perspective of an employee in General Motors (GM), which had been the most dominant organization in Flint, Michigan, by that time. This essay analyzes the book from the perspective of organizational psychology using Morgan's (2006) metaphor of organization as a machine.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to the Organization as a Machine
2. Implementation of Classical Management Principles
3. Human Resource Practices and Scientific Management
4. Organizational Culture and Working Climate
5. Leadership and Conflict Resolution
6. Organizational Commitment and Conclusion
Objectives and Core Topics
This report analyzes Ben Hamper’s book "Rivethead" to evaluate the management practices at General Motors, focusing on the implications of treating an organization as a machine according to classical management theories.
- The impact of machine-like organizational structures on employee well-being.
- Application of Adam Smith’s division of labor and capital investment principles.
- Critical evaluation of Human Resource practices including recruitment, training, and performance management.
- Analysis of organizational culture, leadership efficacy, and employee commitment levels.
Excerpt from the Book
The Operational Reality of the Machine Model
Hamper started the story with a kid’s view when seeing his old man working a monotonous job in a filthy and noisy factory on the second shift. He described how people systematically worked together by the assembly line, installed particular parts of the car over and over again. Just from the first pages of the book, we can see that GM viewed the organization through the lens of a machine. The operational activities were machinelike, where the organizational life was routinized, the jobs were repetitive, shifts method was implemented so that the factory could work uninterruptedly every day, and the humans were expected to behave as in they were parts of machines (Morgan, 2006).
With a view of the organization as a machine, GM implemented two principles introduced by Adam Smith (1776, cited in Morgan, 2006), which are the division of labor and capital investment. The monotony of the job was based on his beliefs that someone who was expert on a simple task will outperform someone who had to do a variety of tasks. The job on the assembly line allowed each worker to do one simple task repetitively that they would become experts, as narrated by Hamper who had been very proficient in doing the job at the rivet line. On the last chapters of the book, the company attempted to increase their productivity by installing new technology and lay off some of their employees. This practice was also aligned with Smith’s principle capital investment.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction to the Organization as a Machine: This chapter introduces the perspective of General Motors as a machine-like organization and the profound impact of this structure on the local community.
2. Implementation of Classical Management Principles: The section examines how GM applied principles of division of labor and bureaucracy, leading to negative psychological outcomes for employees.
3. Human Resource Practices and Scientific Management: It critiques GM's flawed approach to scientific management and its failure to conduct effective recruitment, selection, and job design.
4. Organizational Culture and Working Climate: This chapter discusses how monotonous job designs and poor management led to a negative, isolated, and unproductive organizational culture.
5. Leadership and Conflict Resolution: The text highlights the lack of effective leadership and the failure of management to resolve conflicts with the union, eroding employee trust.
6. Organizational Commitment and Conclusion: It defines different types of organizational commitment and concludes that GM's practices led to a detrimental work environment and suffering for employees.
Keywords
General Motors, Rivethead, Ben Hamper, Machine Metaphor, Classical Management, Scientific Management, Division of Labor, Organizational Culture, Human Resource Management, Job Satisfaction, Leadership, Conflict Resolution, Organizational Commitment, Workplace Stress, Bureaucracy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this work?
The report provides a critical analysis of General Motors' management practices based on the personal accounts found in Ben Hamper's book "Rivethead".
What are the central themes discussed?
The main themes include the mechanical view of organizations, classical management theory, the failure of HR practices, organizational culture, and employee commitment.
What is the core research objective?
The objective is to evaluate how the application of classical management principles and the "organization as a machine" metaphor affected the working life and psychological well-being of GM employees.
Which scientific methods are applied?
The report uses management theories from scholars like Adam Smith, Max Weber, Frederick Taylor, and organizational commitment models from Allen and Meyer to analyze the narrative.
What does the main body cover?
The main body covers the analysis of operational routines, HR inefficiencies (recruitment, training), leadership failures, and the resulting toxic organizational culture.
Which keywords define this analysis?
Key terms include "Machine Metaphor", "Scientific Management", "Organizational Culture", and "Organizational Commitment".
How did the "iron cage of capitalism" manifest at GM?
It manifested through routinized, repetitive, and monotonous work that eroded employees' spirit, leading to destructive behaviors like drinking and anxiety disorders.
Why did HR practices fail at GM according to the report?
HR practices failed due to nepotism, lack of proper job design, absence of goal setting or feedback, and failure to provide meaningful development or motivation for employees.
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- Dea Febriani (Autor:in), 2017, Book Report and Analysis about "Rivethead" by Ben Hamper, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/385530
