Fordism Principal application in HRM

 

FORDISM principal application in HRM 

 

In the early 20th century, the Fordism principle was introduced by Henry Ford(Ford motors), and it caused the transformation(Lovering J,(2009) of the whole manufacturing industry, enabling mass production at a lower cost. As assembly lines were introduced, employees would engage in particular divisions, and it was enabled to mass production efficiently. Since employees happened to do repetitive tasks, it was easy to recruit, train and replace new labor. After World War II, there was a dramatic economic shift towards growth, and people were able to work and meet their basic needs.


 

In the global context of the early 20th century, the introduction of Fordism by Henry Ford's $5-day double wage made a significant movement in USA industry. It was caused to reduce the employee’s workday, and employees were able to afford the products they produced.

On the other hand, when it came to Japan(Wood s, 1993) after World War II, despite Japan initially embracing Fordism's principle of mass production, they mostly focused on workers involvement and solving problems.

In terms of a human resource management perspective(Burrows R, Gilbert N, Pollert A, (1992), there are both pros and cons in Fordism practice. After the industrial revolution, most of the global organization’s started to recruit even unskilled workers for particular assembly lines and production divisions for their mass production since it was easy to train them, and it widely contributed to the growth of the middle class. 

In terms of pros in the early 20th century, workers were able to earn higher wages despite being unskilled. In addition, employees working hours were limited. Since higher wages allowed workers to meet their needs, it was leading to increased consumption and a sense of participation in the economic system.

In the Sri Lankan context(Weerasinghe et al,(2023), when the covid-19pandemic hit in 2020, many production lines were forced to temporarily shut down and caused disruptions since workers were diagnosed with the disease in particular divisions. As a result, many organizations’ revenue plummeted, and employees benefits and salaries were cut down. (negative impact in Fordism practice adoption)

Furthermore, in this century, in terms of the Sri Lankan context(Department of census and statics), unskilled laborers are dramatically tending to engage in mass production (specifically in the apparel industry, with 500,000 employees according to the Department of Census statistics) since they are entitled to receive reward packages such as transport, meals, insurance, medical support, children’s facilities, recreational activities and even financial assistance during times of hardship. hence this is indicating that many unskilled people tend to work in industry base mass production due to Fordism practice.

Many experts argue that(BurrowsR, Gilbert N, Pollert A, (1992 there are many cons that need to be addressed in Fordism practice in terms of employees’ well-being. Once an employee is assigned a particular task to be done, they become more stressed and tired. In addition, monotonous, repetitive work could lower the job satisfaction and morale. Furthermore, since strict control over the workforce (discipline and adherence to the rules), employees are either compelled to leave the job or ultimately fuel the trade union effort.

In conclusion, despite employees receiving a comparative benefit package, their overall mental stability in the workplace needs to be considered, and a holistic approach is needed in terms of retention in the organization. hence Fordism practice need to be carefully practiced and implemented.

References 

Lovering J,(2009), Fordism, Post-Fordism and Flexible Specialization

Fordmotors

Wood s, (1993), The Japanization of Fordism, saga journals, volume 14, issue 4

Department of census and statics

Weerasinghe et al,(2023), Sustainability practices and organizational performance during the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis: A case of apparel and textile industry in Sri Lanka 

BurrowsR, Gilbert N, Pollert A, (1992), introduction: Fordism post Fordism andeconomic flexibility 

 

posted by    K M N R Wickramasinghe -   (E276762)

                    

Comments

  1. HRM Blogs - (MN7234ES) - Batch 12July 25, 2025 at 8:28 AM

    This summary highlights how Fordism revolutionized manufacturing by introducing assembly lines and mass production, making it easier to produce goods efficiently and affordably.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rukshani De SilvaJuly 25, 2025 at 9:01 AM

    Benefits are important, focusing on employees' mental well-being and taking a holistic approach is essential for long-term retention. Fordism practices should be adapted carefully to support overall employee health and satisfaction.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hasitha AmarasekaraJuly 27, 2025 at 10:29 AM

    This is an insightful reflection on Fordism's global impact, highlighting both its historical benefits and modern challenges. It’s great to see the emphasis on balancing productivity with employee well-being in today’s evolving work environments.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Manoj RukshanAugust 1, 2025 at 8:03 AM

    Fordism revolutionized efficiency and mass production but risks employee well-being with repetitive, rigid workflows. Modern HR must balance productivity with worker engagement—adopting flexible, hybrid models that retain Fordism’s efficiency while integrating job rotation, skill development, and mental health support to sustain long-term organizational success.

    ReplyDelete

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