ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book discusses the findings of a study of the causes of order and disorder in industry. It examines three hypotheses: first, that the disorder in British industry is a result of the breakdown of 'government' in the workplace; second, that this breakdown is itself a consequence of the structure of labor relations in Britain; and third, that this disorder has contributed to Britain's relative economic decline. The book analyses the hypothesis that, in the British case, the breakdown of government in the workplace is a consequence of the structure of British labor relations. It also presents the findings regarding the impact of disorder on the English factory's productivity. The disorder in British industry is the outgrowth of structural features of the British system of labor relations.
