Martin Krzywdzinski

Today, a large proportion of the world's states are under authoritarian governments. These countries limit participation rights, both in the political sphere and in the workplace. At the same time, they have to generate consent in the workplace in order to ensure social stability and prevent the escalation of conflicts. But how do companies generate consent given that employee voice and interest representation may be limited or entirely absent? Based on a review of research literature from sociology, organizational psychology, and behavioural economics, this book develops a theory of consent generation and distinguishes three groups of consent-producing mechanisms: socialization, incentive mechanisms, and participation and interest representation. It presents an empirical analysis of how these mechanisms work in Russian and Chinese automotive factories and shows how socio-cultural factors and labour regulation explain the differences between both countries regarding consent and control in the workplace. The book contributes to two research debates. First, it examines the generation of consent in the workplace-a core topic of the sociology of work and organization. Its particular focus is on consent generation in authoritarian societies. Secondly, the book contributes to the debate about the reasons for the completely different trajectories of post-communist Russia and China. The book provides an empirical analysis that explains the different work behaviours of employees in both countries and links the micro-level of the workplace and the macro-level of institutions and organizational cultures.

With contributions from over 20 leading scholars from across the globe, this new book brings together a number of papers that have been presented at the annual International Labour Process Conference, at which the conference theme ‘Working Revolutions: Revolutionising Work’ provided the inspiration for many of the chapters included in this volume. Grounded in Labour Process Theory, the text examines how digital technologies impact on work and organisations and provides a rigorous account of the technological, organizational and work related changes in both the new digital industries and in the traditional service and manufacturing sectors. The book covers many of the most significant contemporary issues and subjects in the field, including the representation of women in IT, workplace cyberbulling, virtualisation and the video games industry. This book is essential reading for upper-level undergraduate and postgraduate students studying modules related to technology and work, as well as modules in work sociology on sociology degree programmes.

New industrial centres are emerging in the so-called BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China), where large numbers of plants have been constructed in recent years, creating many manufacturing jobs. But what does industrial work look like in these locations? Up until now, much of the interest in developing country industrialization has concentrated on the poor working conditions that characterize some export-oriented sectors in emerging economies, most notoriously in the garment industry. In contrast, the concern of this book is with the modern facilities of multinational or local manufacturers that reflect aspirations for a process of industrial upgrading that might foreshadow the future for these countries. The book provides an analysis of work, its context, and the situation of employees in plants in the BRICs focussing on three main questions: What differences and common features can be ascertained in a comparison both of countries and firms in terms of workplace HR management and production systems? What evidence is there for either a 'high road' or 'low road' developmental path in the BRICs? How are corporate standards implemented in these local contexts? The book addresses an academic audience as well as managers and trade unionists. For the former, it offers a systematic comparison of the four countries and the companies under study. For the latter, it offers a vivid account of challenges the companies face in the BRIC countries as well as the solutions adopted by the companies.

Zwei Forschungsinteressen haben das Schreiben dieses Buchs geleitet. Zum ersten hat mich seit mehreren Jahren die Selektivität politischer Institutionen gegenüber unterschiedlichen sozialen Interessen und die marxistische Staatstheorie beschäftigt. Eine immer größere Rolle spielte dabei das Problem, wie die Fragestellungen der marxistischen Staatstheorie in der empirischen Forschung umgesetzt werden können. Zum zweiten sind die Transforma- onsprozesse in Osteuropa zu meinem zentralen Forschungsfeld geworden. Ein besonderes Interesse gilt dabei meinem Heimatland Polen, einem Land, dessen neueste Geschichte von der beeindruckenden Gewerkschaftsbewegung Solidarno geprägt wurde, die sich aber auf den ersten Blick erstaunlich ohnmächtig gegenüber den Transformationsprozessen zu einer kapitalistischen Gesellschaft erwies. Das Staunen über diese Ohnmacht führte mich zur Beschäftigung mit der Arbeits- und Sozialpolitik in Polen und dem Einfluss verschiedener sozialer Interessen auf ihre Entwicklung. Ich konnte beide genannten Interessenfelder in einem Promotionsvorhaben zusammenführen. Diesem Buch liegt eine Dissertation zugr- de, die am Otto-Suhr-Institut der Freien Universität Berlin eingereicht wurde. Das Buch wäre ohne vielfältige Unterstützung nicht entstanden. An erster Stelle will ich der Promotionsförderung der Hans-Böckler-Stiftung meinen Dank aussprechen, die die Entstehung der Dissertation und ihre Publikation finanziert und mich auch darüber hinaus unterstützt hat. Mein Dank gebührt ebenfalls den Betreuern meiner Promotion, Professor Bodo Zeuner und Professor Siegfried Mielke. Insbesondere Bodo Zeuner hat durch seine Kritik, Nachfragen und Anregungen viel zur Entwicklung und Umsetzung meines F- schungsvorhabens beigetragen, mir zugleich aberauch den Freiraum für die Verfolgung meiner Ideen und Interessen gegeben.