The seventh edition of Sociology, Work and Organisation is outstandingly effective in explaining how we can use the sociological imagination to understand the nature of institutions of work, organisations, occupations, management and employment and how they are changing in the twenty-first century.
Intellectual and accessible, it is unrivalled in the breadth of its coverage and its authoritative overview of both traditional and emergent themes in the sociological study of work and organisation. The direction and implications of trends in technological change are fully considered and the book recognises the extent to which these trends are intimately related to changing patterns of inequality in modern societies and to the changing experiences of individuals and families. Key features of the text are:
- clear structure;
- ‘key issue’ guides and summaries with each chapter;
- identification of key concepts throughout the book;
- unrivalled glossary and concept guide;
- rich illustrative snapshots or ‘mini cases’ throughout the book.
This text engages with cutting-edge debates and makes conceptual innovations without any sacrifice to clarity or accessibility of style. It will appeal to a wide audience, including undergraduates, postgraduates and academics working or studying in the area of work and the organisation of work, as well as practitioners working in the area of human resources and management generally.
Introduction
1. Studying, Work Society and Organisation
2. Analysing Work and Organisation: Scientific Management, Human Relations and Negotiated Orders
3. Analysing Work and Organisation: Institutionalism, Labour Process and Discourse Analysis
4. Industrial Capitalism, Change and the Possibility of a Fourth Automation-Based Industrial Revolution
5. Work Organisations
6. Control and Variation in Organisational Shaping and Human Resourcing
7. Occupations and the Social Organisation of Work
8. Aspects of Occupations: From Managers to Exotic Dancers, Artists to Professionals and Soldiers to Investment Bankers
9. Culture, Work Orientations and the Experience of Working
10. Identity, Narrative and Emotion in and out of Work
11. Conflict, Mobilisation and Regulation at Work
12. Resistance, Mischief, Humour and the Defence of Self
Biography
Tony Watson is Emeritus Professor of Sociology, Work and Organisation in the Nottingham University Business School, University of Nottingham.
‘This nicely crafted textbook by one of the leading and most experienced scholars of sociology of work and organisations provides an excellent coverage of the entire field, combining a historical perspective, with a strong awareness of contemporary developments in working life and theory.’ – Mats Alvesson, Lund University, Sweden
‘Sociology, Work and Organisation is written to engage its readers and to advance our understanding of the sociology of work. This fully updated version improves on an already excellent introductory text.’ – Darren McCabe, Lancaster University, UK
‘As a young researcher exploring shop floor dynamics in the early 1980s, the first edition of this great book was an invaluable source of ideas. In the intervening years, Tony Watson has continued to update his analysis of the multi-facetted, changing and contradictory nature of work and organisations. With its greater emphasis on organisational dynamics, this excellent new edition provides a lucid overview of the field. As an introductory text, this book is very hard to beat, and I can thoroughly recommend it.’ – David Collinson, University of Lancaster, UK
