The rational factory: architecture, technology, and work in America's age of mass production

Abstract

It is argued in this text, that design of factory was a crucial factor in development of American mass production - one that has been overlooked by historians of Taylorism and industrial efficiency movement. This interdisciplinary study draws from fields of business history, engineering, technology, architecture and theories of modernity in examining attempts to rationalize factory and system's impact on those who worked under it. Designed to address the labour problem, 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 atomization of labour. The book focuses on Henry Ford's model factories at Highland Park and River Rouge and analyzes 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.