For this assignment, you need to craft an essay (2,000 words) on the relations between managerial control and worker autonomy. The purpose of this paper is to explain why managers claim control of the labour process, why workers may engage in collective action to improve their incomes and working conditions, and how such collective action might impact management strategies. To do this, you need a thesis statement that allows you to decide which arguments from the readings you will use to develop your own line of argument. You also need to ensure that your arguments are in line with empirical findings presented in the readings. Make sure to use scholarly sources and properly cite them. Also, use theories as a conceptual framework around which you can organize empirical evidence. The readings assigned in Units 4 and 5 introduce theories of bureaucracies, organizations, and managerial control and conflict. Look at them first, see which ones suit the arguments you want to advance, and construct your conceptual framework out of them before looking for the piece of evidence you need to support your arguments.

The essay should answer the following questions:

1. Why do managers claim control over the labour process?
2. Which forms of collective action might workers pursue to improve their incomes and working conditions?
3. Does workers’ collective action challenge managerial control? What can managers do to regain control?