Satisfaction and Participation in the Canadian Workforce

August 11, 2012

Satisfaction and Participation in The Canadian Workforce

Employers and employees have very different goals in the workplace. Management, who we will consider the employer in this paper, aims to produce the most profit for the firm. The worker, however, strives to earn as much as they can while being able to contribute in the workplace. While this power struggle between employer and employee occurs, it has been asked whether it is possible for both sides to get what they desire. We will begin with worker and employer goals and motivations for work reform. This will then lead into a discussion of the roles employers, employees and unions play in work reform in Canada. Then we will look at theoretical perspectives that shed light on work reform. After all of this, we will distinguish how it is possible for productivity and profit to increase for a firm, while at the same time improving working conditions. With reform, work in Canada can become more satisfying for workers and allow them to effectively participate in the workplace.

At the time the assembly line was introduced in 1914, bureaucracy was the primary management style in North America. The combination of technology and bureaucracy led to the formation of Fordism which is based on industrial mass production (Krahn, Lowe & Hughes, 2007, p.224). This management method meant that corporations were able to make large profits while workers endured poor working conditions and little say in business decisions. Jobs became routinized and took away a worker’s ability to develop their skills and ability to voice their opinions or provide ideas for business operation(Krahn, Lowe & Hughes, 2007, p.240).

The goal of the employer is to continue to make profit, while workers are looking to increase their level or participation and quality of life at work. The employee’s goal is to make a good wage, have...