Fordism - a good idea or a bad one?
The purpose of this paper is to state that Fordism was not a stable production system, even though it achieved great success when it was first applied by Henry Ford. The Fordism production method will be critically assessed on the segregation it built between workforce and management and how it established a dominant American industry. The study will also define the concept of Fordism and how it influenced the motor vehicle industry, in which this production model was first implemented.
By the beginning of the 20th-century technology had become advanced enough to introduce the motor vehicle. Despite this, for many years the automobile remained an expensive luxury item created by craftsmen. It was something only the wealthy could afford. That was until Henry Ford, a son of the Scientific Movement of Management, developed a new line of thought. He wanted to make cars available to the “masses” by changing the production process in a way that would reduce costs, so more people could afford the product. Ford introduced a new approach to production, which included standardization, specialization and the usage of the assembly line and the conveyor belt system (Smith, 2011). His business model was so successful that it sparked a revolution in the entire industry. Even today, a century later, the world is still greatly influenced by Fordism.
Authors variously interpret the term “Fordism”. According to Knights and Willmott (2007: 385) “Fordism
In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s the automobile was considered an expensive, custom made, consumer product that only the wealthy could afford to dazzle themselves with. In fact, in 1895 there was a report of only 300 cars in the United States, but that number grew dramatically in the years to come to nearly 1.7 million by 1914 (Car History, n.d.). This increase was due in part by two major shifts in the American society; the new consumer economy and the ideas that every family in America should be able to afford an automobile. Henry Ford was a large contributor to this massive increase in the United States and would make changes to the automobile industry that
Other manufacturers were content to target the wealthy American could buy, not even considering the middle or lower class. Ford developed a design and a method of making the cars that steadily and continuously reduced the cost of the car, the car being the Model T. Instead of pocketing the money from the cars Ford used it to make better and more efficient ways to build a car. As a result, Ford Motor Company sold more cars and steadily increased its earnings. Henry Ford somehow managed to change people from the looking at an automobile as a luxury, and more like a convenience
In the early 1900’s Henry Ford developed the idea of “a wagon that will run without a horse”.1 This idea and Ford’s success changed America and its people forever. The development of the automobile played a tremendous role in the economy, labor unions and society. Generally, when most people think of Henry Ford they reflect upon his wealth and contributions to the transportation industry as an infinitely positive phenomenon. It is thought that aside from just allowing consumers to purchase and use his inventions, he provided thousands of people with jobs and the promise of prosperity. The tale of Henry Ford’s legendary business and remarkably effective assembly line is unparalleled in
Imagine how life would be if our society did not have cars. Today, our society is dependent on cars for our daily routines. From transporting our food, clothes, and technology to just going to the store across the street, cars are a very important part of our society. In the 19th century, only the wealthy and upper middle class had access to automobiles, and they only used cars for fancy transportation and to show off their money. This was due to the extreme prices of cars in the 19th century. With these high prices not many people could afford them, especially not the working class. Henry Ford revolutionized the automotive industry in the
When you think about Ford, an automobile will usually come to mind. Most people don’t think about the man behind that name, Henry Ford. Henry Ford was the man responsible for the Ford Motor Company (FMC). He was also the creator of the invention that changed the mass production industry, the assembly line. As you read on you will learn about Henry Ford’s life, the FMC, and the assembly line.
A motor car for the great multitude a goal for Henry Ford(Schlager 593). In the 1920s, automobiles are rapidly changing the American lifestyle forever because of their affordability and also the development of new assembly technology to lower the cost. Technological innovations of assembly begin to expand and advance for the better throughout the 1920s, which impacts Americans and the people of the world today. Henry Ford, a bold figure during the 1920s, owner of Ford automobiles. His ideas and innovation like the assembly line forever changes the automobile and the way goods are produce. Although there are many technological advancement during the 1920s, the assembly line designed by
Henry Ford decided to take the risk of pursuing his dream of machines when he left the family farm in 1879 to work at a car company in Michigan. He believed he had more of an interest in machines than he did in farming, but his father thought differently. Ford’s father wanted him to follow his footsteps on the farm, but unfortunately, it did not turn out in his
“Any customer can have a car painted any colour that he wants so long as it is black.” (Henry Ford). Henry Ford is one of the world’s most renowned leaders for the automobile industry. The son of a farmer, Ford has always been interested in how things worked. He has improved the models of his cars to make manufacturing them faster and more efficient by using assembly lines. He also set a balance between his employees’ wages and hours worked. Ford never stopped innovating and it is shown in his later Models of his car. Ford set standards for future motor companies and set standards for modern day manufacturing.
Henry Ford, whose name arouses recognition to this day, was one of the most well known figures in the automobile industry. He had created the assembly line to use within manufacturing in order to increase productivity, and consequently, reduce the prices of automobiles. With these famously low prices, it wasn’t uncommon to see cars, such as the 1920 ReVere Touring Car, parked around cities (Doc D). Finally, most American persons would be able to afford a personal vehicle. Due to the growth in this particular industry, employment opportunities had opened up for the common man, with the demand for car factory laborers. It seems, that with this advancement, America was better
The birth of the automobile was truly something special. Once a far fetched dream is now what many people believe to be the back bone of the American economy. When people think about the automobile the name that comes to mind is most usually Henry Ford. Although he is not credited with the invention of the automobile, Henry Ford played a crucial role in the development of mass production. The automobile was first invented Europe in 1771 with a top speed of 2.3 miles per hour. A man by the name of Gottliech Daimler produced what was known as the milestone car in 1889, this vehicle traveled at 10 miles per hour (Brown, 105). Not more then a handful of these cars were produced over seas. Not many people had ever
White says that “to produce a new vehicle it takes three to five years” (332), but he neglects to prove this information with ethos. The author later defends the automakers by stating “that doesn’t mean auto makers and their technology suppliers aren’t serious about rethinking the status quo” (333), therefore, he could confuse the reader with mixed opinions (332-333).
Henry Ford had a mass-production that became standard with Ford. The “Big three” auto companies, General Motors and Chrysler, began in the 1920’s. After the automobile
A man that went by the name of Henry Ford, once said, “I invented nothing new. I simply assembled the discoveries of other men behind whom were centuries of work…” The Ford Motor Company is an American continental automobile maker founded by Henry Ford on June 16, 1903. During the 1920s, this firm marketed automobiles that were reliable, low-cost, easy-to-operate and easier-to-fix device for the masses (Rise of the Automobile). In addition, the Ford Motor Company led the world into the expansion and refinement of the assembly line; revolutionizing our society to greater heights through its mobile products. Meanwhile, the company’s contributions benefited society through the means of the renovation of the suburbs and the invention of new services. Like no other during the 1920s, the Ford Motor Company supplied to the boom of innovations; marking its footprint to a superior society.
Founded in 1903, Henry Ford managed to get investor support to open the first manufacturing automobile company in Detroit, Michigan. Ford Motor Company has been known for its mass production of vehicles using a perfected assembly line method and its innovations in the automobile industry. Ford’s famous Model-T was developed as an innovative automobile that could be produced quickly, while keeping the cost to a minimum. This allowed people with a lower income the opportunity to afford an automobile. One of the biggest changes in the automobile industry occurred in 1913 with the introduction of a perfected assembly line method. This assembly line method was the one of the main reasons Ford Motor Company was able to keep the cost of vehicles and the production time to a minimum. Ford also took the first step to increase wages of their employees above the industry standard. Although it was still a very low value, Ford offered $5 per day which was a huge improvement from the $2.34 per day that most companies offered.
In this section we analyse the political, economical, social, technological, natural and legal environment of Ford Motor Company.