Question

1. Do you agree that many early industrial technologies were used as ways of controlling labor? What sort of historical research could be done in order to test this proposition?
2. Do employers have a legitimate right to electronically monitor their employees? Would you object to monitoring by your employer? Should federal or state governments pass laws that limit electronic employee monitoring? If so, what would be reasonable limits to this practice?
3. Can you see any indications that consumers are showing a preference for nonstandardized products? How will changed consumer preferences affect workplace technologies?

Answer 1

Solution 1

It is difficult to comment on such generalization of statement because no empirical concrete evidence or hypothesis proves that. We have seen wide variety of use cases like Industrial revolution which helped economic prosperity in US and resulted in large scale growth of kabor without controlling . On the contrary In China, the Autocrstic nature saw excessive micromanagement eafter mechanization was introduced which forced redundant labor to be laid off and productivity was enhanced with mere use if machines.

Solution 2

Employers in many nations do have legitimate rights to monitor performance and behaviour of employees as part of feedback management reviews. However this is unfair and unjustified as it limits freedom of expression and limits productivity and decreases employees morale. It is highly objectionable and federal laws must pass rules which limits such monitoring activities strictly to meetings and conferences and not everyyday work life.

Solution 3

Consumers have seen gradual shift to non standardized products like private label brands introduced by Walmart at its stored which are offered at low cost albeit lack quality standard. Changing consumers preference to buying online without practically observations and reluctance to buy cheap products at discounted rates has been new phenomenon . This has highly changed workplace technolgies and forced companies to deploy latest technologies like Artificial intelligence which predicts consumer behaviour and targets products based on changing choices and needs and pricing points.