ABSTRACT
With increasing advances in technology, the normal divisions between "manual" and "intellectual" labor are collapsing; as more industries move toward mediating and controlling work using computerized tools, a greater number of workers at all levels are being compelled to conceptualize work and judge situations on a very different level of abstraction than before. In addition, because of the nature of the processes being controlled, a background in the details of a specific industry is often proving a better prerequisite for effective technology use than, for example, a background in computer systems or computer mediated management. However, many efforts to implement advanced technologies fail because these systems are difficult for many people to learn, regardless of background. The study described in this chapter concerns three levels of workers in a large remanufacturing facility learning the logic of MRP (Material Requirements Planning) systems. As becomes clear, the important issues may not have to do with identifying who should or can learn these systems, but rather how learning occurs.
