Head Article Discussion

The chapter “Rise of the Reegineers” in Simon Head’s book The New Ruthless Economy Head suggests that modern day reengineering and structuring of the work place is closely related to scientific management and Fordism. He argues that the control and regulation of labor that were sought after in mail-order houses and on assembly lines did not disappear in the modern economic system but rather was recoined and reshaped as new technologies entered the business world. Head tells of how the emergence of computer technologies decreased the need for skilled labor as programs could allow someone with limited computer operation skills to complete complex workflow (Head 72). This is similar to how Fordism created small tasks that anyone could be trained to do removing expertise and making human labor as mechanized and systematic as possible. Head also writes about how computer technology has allowed employers to monitor and analyze employee performance (Head 70). This creates a negative work environment. In general Head has a degree of cynicism toward the structure of the work place at the turn of the 21^st century.  

Simon Head, the author of this book, is senior and associate fellow of the Rothermere American Institute, Oxford. He is also a contributor for the New York Review of Books. When this book was published in 2003 it experienced a bit of push back. One critic claimed that Head’s book contained “a number of glaring mistakes and puzzling omissions” (Lucsko 5). Head’s expertise is in the history of the workplace and how information technology has influenced this environment. In general, Head’s works tend to argue controversial and politically charged points. The titles of his books alone create controversy. Along these lines, Head has authored another book which was published in February of this year entitled Mindless: Why Smarter Machines are Making Dumber Humans about the impact of computerization in the work place. This book created much discussion in scholarship as well as main stream media with many people agreeing and disagreeing with his arguments.

One thing to consider while reading “Rise of the Reengineers” is that the book to which it belongs was published in 2003. At this point in history computers had been prominent in business for a couple of decades; however, there has been much change in the information technology field within the last decade. Additionally, this chapter is part of the greater book which is a critique of the workplace in the beginning of the 21^st century. Another thing to consider is that Head’s books seem to be designed to raise a response in the reader. With controversial titles and content, Head’s books perform their purpose by creating conversation in both scholarship and popular culture. Therefore, a reader should be cautious and read critically. Overall all Head presents an interesting argument about how optimization of work in both the past and the present has changed the work culture of the 21^st century. 

Work Cited

Head, Simon. "The Rise of the Reengineers." The New Ruthless Economy: Work & Power in the

            Digital   Age. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2005. 60-79. Print.

Lucsko, David N. "Book Review: The New Ruthless Economy." IEEE Technology and Society                       Magazine Winter 2004: 4-5. Web.

"Simon Head: Profile." The Guardian. N.p., n.d. Web.