ABSTRACT
In this chapter the concept of automation and its effects on the organization will be discussed. The past few decades have made it clear that automation has great influence on the manner in which goods or services are produced in organizations. The automation of both primary production processes and supporting processes such as administrative or logistic systems has major consequences for job content and for the organization of the work. The following topics will be treated: a brief description of the use of automation in work organizations; its consequences for the quality and the quantity of employment; the role of automation in strategic policy; the management of automation projects, and the personnel and organizational aspects of automation.
