The Rational Factory

It is argued in this text, that the design of the factory was a crucial factor in the development of American mass production. This interdisciplinary study examines attempts to rationalize the factory and the system's impact on those who worked under it.

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It is argued in this text, that the design of the factory was a crucial factor in the development of American mass production - one that has been overlooked by historians of Taylorism and the industrial efficiency movement. This interdisciplinary study draws from the fields of business history, engineering, technology, architecture and theories of modernity in examining attempts to rationalize the factory and the system's impact on those who worked under it. Designed to address "the labour problem", the rational factory eliminated large numbers of workers and forced those who remained to give up traditional work habits and to work systematically. The new factories allowed for easier supervision of labour and increased work efficiency through new machinery and modern shop floor organization that emphasized the atomization of labour. The book focuses on Henry Ford's model factories at Highland Park and River Rouge and analyzes the various design strategies Ford and his engineers employed to maximize output.
Illustrated with floor plans and "workflow" diagrams, it revisits Ford's contributions to mass production theory and should increase our understanding of American industrial society.