More than just hands: workers’ experiences of industrial work in Finland during the Fordist period

AbstractIn this article, we study worker experiences of the labor process in Finnish industrial workplaces during the Fordist period from World War II to the 1970s. Using biographical material, we examine the ways in which workers utilized their emotions, teamwork skills and personal aspirations in the production process. We argue that many workplaces of the period were far less bureaucratic and rationalized than stereotypical images suggest. The efforts of the workers were not just physical performances under strict managerial control; workers often enjoyed significant autonomy, showed initiative and learning abilities, worked in teams, identified themselves with the employer, and strived for quality and craftsmanship. This shows how the managerial representations of the workplace during the period hid much of the emotional and social life on the shop floor.