Nolasco, Kathy L.

4POL1

Chapter 10: Labor and Industry, The Modern Liberal Perspective

Nature of Work
The meaning of work during the nineteenth century work is viewed as unpleasant and that monetary
incentives and the threat of discipline are necessary to stimulate production. In here we can see that
people do not enjoy working due to the factors that led to the workers being treated as slaves due to
the disciplinary actions that they are imposing those days and also due to the harshness that not
enough money is being made by a certain individual. However as twentieth century arises it has
changed its views because of the introduction of technology according to Clark Technology has
created conditions in which most menial tasks can be performed by machines so that jobs can be
sources of personal satisfaction and fulfillment. The rising standard of living brought about by the
introduction of technology has permitted most citizens in industrialized nations to meet their
physiological needs easily. Increasingly, people seek personal development through exercising their
human capacities to the fullest.
Abraham Maslow (1908-1970) described this historical transformation in terms of a "hierarchy of
needs. According to him Once basic needs for nourishment and safety are met, humans shift their
energies to fulfilling higher needs such as love, self-esteem, high-quality social relations, and,
ultimately, "self-actualization," or the achievement of one's full potential. For Maslow, meaningful
work that stimulates workers to engage their capacities is essential for self-actualization. So as works
is getting easier (with the help of certain technologies) the rise of a persons happiness due it is also
increasing.
Explanations of Hierarchy
Modern liberalist believes that people want to work if their jobs offer intrinsic satisfaction. To be
able to achieve this one must organize production to satisfy the needs of workers for respect,
autonomy, a sense of belonging, and the opportunity to advance. Since when people view work as an
opportunity for personal development, wages become only one factor among many determining
employee satisfaction.
"Enlightened management" can reduce hierarchy and "humanize" the workplace without necessarily
sacrificing profitability. Workers become more productive when they feel trusted and valued;
building trust requires that managers relinquish tight control of the production process. As the
employers acknowledge the capacities of the workers in their areas, these workers in return have
been happy and through that employees may be able to create a good work atmosphere and be able to
produce products that would be constitute to be a high quality work. However we might still need to
be empowering workers so that management will actually become more effective. Even highly
motivated workers require clear lines of authority for processing information and communicating
decisions. Hierarchy gives workers knowledge of the location of authority and responsibility.
The Role of Unions
Modern Liberalist had supported labor unions as a necessary balance to the concentration of business
power. Since labor unions would provide "countervailing power" for workers in their negotiations
with corporations over wages and working conditions. From the Keynesian perspective, labor unions'
strength in forcing a more equal distribution of income benefits the entire economy. Modern Liberals
also claims that unions benefit all workers because even nonunionized firms are motivated to pay
close attention to union wages to maintain employee morale and to discourage the spread of unions,
the unions also support a higher minimum wage for all workers to reduce the incentive for employers
to substitute nonunion labor in jobs presently held by union members and they lobby for government
efforts to create jobs because unemployment provides employers. In response to the Classical Liberal
charge that unions cause inflation, Modern Liberals argue that corporate efforts to raise profits are the
primary cause of "cost-push" inflation. However, Modern Liberals continue to defend unions as
essential to the economic security of workers. This security consists of more than high wages;
workers have rights to fringe benefits, safe working conditions, and protection against arbitrary
power. The importance of labor unions gives way to the total increase of happiness of the workers
due to its benefits like the increase in wages, or promoting the importance of the workers in their
fields.