ABSTRACT
The typical treatment in the literature dealing with society and technology is of the impact of technology on society. All the features and effects were preferred selectively by the economic decision makers who determined which technology was most serviceable to their business advantage. Criteria determine the selection of technology options from the array of alternatives that are available to industrial managers and to their engineer surrogates. Throughout its history as a quantity-produced product, the design and hence the operating characteristics of the US automobile have been stamped by the requirements of the directing managements of the major auto firms. The production technology of the auto industry is sensibly considered in two parts: the physical means of production and the techniques for organizing and integrating the host of production operations. The idea that there are many conceivable ways of dividing and organizing work is reflected in a growing literature that seeks to open new options for Work in America.
