UpDate - Vol. 11, No. 21, Page 4
February 27, 1992
Professor comments on changes in the workplace

     The working world is in a state of transition, with both
positive and negative trends emerging in the '90s, according to
Robert Rothman, professor of sociology.
     Rothman is the author of Working, Sociological Perspectives,
first published by Prentice-Hall in 1987 and now being revised for
a second printing in 1993.
     Rothman, who also has done research on the legal profession,
teaches in the Legal Studies Program as well as in sociology. His
current focus is on the sociology of the working world in general.
He has studied blue-collar and white-collar workers, those in
manufacturing, service jobs, management and the professions.
     The subject is interdisciplinary, he said, and research in
psychology, history, business, economics and anthropology have
contributed to knowledge in the field.
     Rothman has observed four major trends in the workplace in the
'90s.
     The first is the restructuring of work. There is a trend away
from narrowly defined, repetitive jobs. Industry has been
influenced by the success of the Japanese and the Scandinavians in
such areas as the automobile industry, where workers perform more
than one task, are given more control of their jobs and worker
input is sought, Rothman said. People respond to the challenge and
have more positive attitudes toward their jobs and efficiency
increases.
     Secondly, Rothman said, working conditions and opportunities
for women and people of color seem to be improving at an ever
increasing pace, at least in white-collar jobs and in larger
organizations.
     Jobs and career opportunities once closed are opening; there
is less tolerance of overt discrimination and harassment; and more
companies are offering parental leave, providing day-care help and
flexible schedules, he said.
     There is a long way to go before inequities are overcome. Both
groups continue to suffer from an earnings gap, and there are
predictions that, at the current rate of change, it will be the
year 2073 before salaries are comparable. However, it is possible
that changes will accelerate a closing of the gap, he said.
     The third major trend, according to Rothman, to some extent
counteracts the other trends.
     Workers have a more tenuous link to their jobs in this period
of recession, downsizing of companies, buy-outs, unemployment and
layoffs. Organizations view workers as temporary, and paternalism
no longer exists.
     Consequently, workers do not develop company loyalty and do
not expect to spend their working lives with the same company.
     There is increasing mobility, Rothman said.
     "In companies like IBM, it used to be if you did your job, you
had a job. That no longer is so. Companies hire temporary workers
and contract workers. This occurs in professions, as well. Lawyers
could once anticipate staying with one firm and rising from
associate to partner, but fewer are making partner. Some law firms
have created the position of 'senior attorney,' which involves a
year-to-year contract," Rothman said.
     Other factors play a role as manufacturing is farmed out to
countries where wages are lower.
     The current climate in industry has a negative impact on
employees, Rothman said. Employees are not as motivated to do a
good job.
     Business decisions are made that have nothing to do with
employee ability or performance, and workers feel powerless. There
is a sense of betrayal.
     Studies have been made of those who are victims of
unemployment and the "survivors," Rothman said.
     The survivors are cynical, morale is down, accidents go up,
and there is little loyalty for the employer. Organizations are
frequently insensitive to how workers feel and react.
     The fourth, most distressing trend, according to Rothman, is
the ongoing division of the work force into two categories-an
increasing number of unstable, dead-end, low-paying, manual service
and lower-level, white-collar jobs, and a declining number of
rewarding professional and managerial opportunities.
     Current graduates are apprehensive, according to Rothman.
Their expectations are not being met by the jobs that are
available. For young people entering the workplace, there is
"reality shock," he said.
     Most students have had temporary jobs, but feel their "real"
job will be different. Actually, this is not the case in some ways.
New employees frequently must perform repetitious and uninteresting
tasks and seldom have bosses who appreciate or understand them.
     Rothman said in this age of change and transition, it is
difficult to make predictions about the future.
     However, he said he hopes positive trends, such as the
increasing number of women in the traditionally male-dominated
professions of law, medicine and pharmacology, continues and that
jobs will get better and reward initiative.
                                        - Sue Swyers Moncure