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- Title
Some Effects of the Changing Work Environment in the Office.
- Authors
Mann, Floyd C.; Williams, Lawrence K.
- Abstract
It is our expectation that the Institute's Intercenter Research Program on Mental Health in Industry will frequently be concerned with problems of change such as described in this paper. As members of a ‘scientific’ society of which one of the principal features is an accelerating rate of change, we have a unique environment in which to investigate the impact of technological change on the organization of work and the individuals living in this relatively unstable social order. This study of some of the effects of the changing work environment in the office has provided us with an opportunity to begin the development of measures for quantitatively demonstrating (a) changes in the objective work environment, and (b) the relation of these changes to employee perceptions, attitudes, and anxieties. The findings of this specific study indicate that the introduction of electronic data processing equipment means a general tightening of the task structure of the office. Jobs require a greater amount of risk, a greater understanding of the total system, and a greater degree of interdependence. While employees working on jobs that are a part of this more highly integrated system of tasks are more satisfied with the amount of their job responsibility, the variety and change in their jobs, and the opportunity they have to develop and learn new things, they do not express increased satisfaction with their jobs as a whole. They are keenly aware that performance standards are now tighter than before, that these standards are more rigidly enforced, that there are more deadlines and these are more important than before. These office workers felt that top management not only expected more of them, but was less interested in them as individual employees than before the change-over to more integrated, electronically con- trolled, accounting procedures. Significantly higher proportions of these white collar workers believed their future looked somewhat worse, and they were worried about the possibilities of temporary layoffs or losing their jobs. The individuals-nonsupervisory and supervisory men-who had been at the very vortex of the extended and intense process of change-over to the new accounting systems showed evidence of more psychological and physical anxiety than for similar white collar groups in the nation. While automation in the office has meant further rationalization of the work environment and the clerical worker has become less satisfied in general with his job and company, this dissatisfaction has not been so intense as to cause these employees to be actively searching for other jobs.
- Subjects
WORK environment; INDUSTRIAL hygiene; INDUSTRIAL sociology; QUALITY of work life; ENVIRONMENTAL health; HEALTH
- Publication
Journal of Social Issues, 1962, Vol 18, Issue 3, p90
- ISSN
0022-4537
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1540-4560.1962.tb00418.x