- 24 Mar, 2021
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U.S. labor history
Mother Jones, a colorful figure in U.S. labor history who will be introduced in chapter 3, said in 1913, “The world is suffering, today, from an industrial yellow fever, not less fatal, but I am certain, as preventable.” Yellow fever was caused by mosquitoes, so Mother Jones continued, “Search for the mosquito! That ought to be a slogan with investigators on both sides of the labor question.” What is the mosquito that causes the labor problem in each of the four schools of thought?
How are the major premises of the mainstream economics and industrial relations schools consistent with Figure 2.2? How would you change the label on the gun to make this into a mainstream economics cartoon? An industrial relations cartoon?
Review Figure 2.3. Sketch a similar diagram to capture the range of outcomes possible within the human resource management school (Hint: Use a pendulum but not necessarily a power struggle between labor and management).
Think of jobs you or someone you know has had. What was undesirable about these jobs? Was the pay too low? Hours too long? Were you treated poorly? Which of the four schools of thought best explains the causes of these undesirable aspects? What would you try to do to redress these undesirable features?
How should the workplace be governed? Why?