With apologies to Gail who'll receive two copies!! Bob Further to a post below I've come across this relevant material: The transformation of American business in recent decades--the movement from the hierarchical firms that dominated the U.S. economy in the mid-20th century to the lean corporations and virtual companies of today-has brought greater speed and efficiency but has also undermined the traditional employment contract. While some American workers have benefited from this change, others face greater insecurity, more difficult career prospects, and feelings of isolation. A solution to this problem is posited in the development of "guilds," organizations that operate outside and across firms, assuming the role formerly played by large employers in providing benefits, career opportunities and a sense of identity and community for workers. Professional societies, labor unions, temporary staffing firms, and regionally based consortia (comprised of community groups, workers' organizations and local government agencies and educational institutions) have already begun to assume some of the roles of guilds. The paper notes issues that must be addressed to enable the broad diffusions of guilds and discusses implications of recent developments for workers, firms, guilds, policy-makers and educators. Source: Retreat of the Firm and the Rise of Guilds: The Employment Relationship in an Age of Virtual Business <http://ccs.mit.edu/papers/pdf/21cWP033.pdf> Bob "G. Stewart" wrote: > I'm sharing this interesting post from Bob McDaniel, > [EMAIL PROTECTED], with his permission. > > Wednesday, January 17, 2001 12:02 AM > > Gail > > ... As you requested: "I hope we'll hang in for a bit and > see if we can make something from our various > contributions", here follow some thoughts inspired by your > contribution: > > Megacorporations are increasingly virtual corporations. > Almost by definition such virtual corporations have a > flattened organizational structure, permeable boundaries > and, while having a nominal national affiliation, in a > practical sense are essentially placeless. > > The flattened organizational structure implies that > individuals in one firm may interact directly with their > counterparts in another firm - no more "going through > channels". They may "compare notes" on matters of mutual > interest, but short of divulging proprietary secrets. The > forming by firms of "strategic alliances" can strengthen > what may be a natural tendency. The now somewhat dated > notion of the "Matrix Organization" is of some relevance > here, too. There may emerge a return to a form of the > mediaeval guild system: Individuals have a greater loyalty > to their profession or trade than to the firms that issue > their paycheques. Such guild-like organizations may have > responsibilities similar to present-day unions and to firms > that "lease" contingent workers. They may assume the role of > care-takers (health, education, pension) as corporations > abdicate this role. Such abdication may be forced on firms > as we collectively as shareowners demand higher value shares > thus forcing CEOs to cut costs to a bare minimum. The > formation of some kind of "guild" may be our way of looking > after ourselves. > > The wireless economy with its ubiquitous computing is > enabling "contextual marketing" which proactively seeks out > prospective customers at their time of need, and does not > rely upon advertising and word-of-mouth to bring the > customer to a firm's door or website. It is not hard to > imagine this technology being applied to workers: Those with > the requisite skillset are directly contacted by cell-phone, > PDA, laptop or whatever may be the current personal > communicating device. And, of course, such a market-place > would be global, especially when the task is > digitally-based. As suggested by Gail, such skills would > include "caring and sharing and nurturing, researching, > producing goods, writing, providing services -- in fact any > of the activities of a healthy society, done willingly". As > a system of micropayments for goods and services is > perfected then we may have a viable way of remunerating > individuals for the many and varied tasks they may > undertake. Barter systems (LETS) may prove to be the > precursors of such systems of micropayments. > > As training/education becomes more accessible electronically > (the Internet in its more sophisticated incarnation) workers > may master the art of learning how to learn and "learning on > the job" may well approach a "just-in-time" task completion > rate. > > Self-service has probably a still greater and more > sophisticated role to play as the customer takes on an > increasingly key part in the provision of services and > manufacture of goods for him/herself. The customer is the > worker, and vice versa: Toffler's "prosumer". Customers tap > into the virtual firm's facilities and services to > custom-design and make their requirements/wants. > > Bionomics and ecology (the ant colony, slime-mould, organic > physiology, the brain, the "web of life") may prove to be a > more valuable source of relevant insights than economics as > we seek to understand the coherence and survival of billions > of interacting objects. As quantitative change (in > population, telematics, human interaction) triggers > qualitative change reversals in age-old concerns may be > expected. > > Bob -- http://publish.uwo.ca/~mcdaniel/
