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Essay / Machines and the Industrial Revolution - 1162
Throughout history there has been a vast development of organization that has led us to the modern factory systems of today. Machines and the industrial revolution in the 19th century obviously play a vital role in these changes, but before we can analyze how they greatly influenced the system; we need to understand how organizations came to be and how they changed to create the demand for machines and thus the industrial revolution. There have been many debates about what motivated development and change. Marglin (1974) argues that it was not the new machines and the industrial revolution that brought about the change, but rather the control and new efficiency from the old organizational systems to the more modern factory system that created the demand . He questions whether the organization of work is determined by society or by technology and questions whether hierarchical authority is actually necessary to achieve high levels of production (Marglin 1974 p19). However, others disagreed and it is still an ongoing debate, e.g. David Landes (1969) argues that the symbol of the revolution was a combination of technological and cultural factors. The transformation from early organizations such as workshops, guilds, cooperatives, and the “production system” to the rise of the factory system brings us closer to today's organization. In early shop floor organizations, there were opportunities for misappropriation of funds, poor allocation of resources, and traditional hierarchies were very common. The distribution system was a simple, decentralized method of producing manufactured goods. It had been used for a few centuries before gaining prominence in the mid-18th century. The system was based on the idea of a central authority...... middle of paper ...... in the age of organization development we can focus on the most driving force relevant that led us to modern factory systems. It was actually Weber who introduced the idea of bureaucracy and this is what led factories to become more like modern organizations through more hierarchical control and maximum efficiency. The industrial sector is constantly evolving, as can be seen in the 19th century when the main driving force was more geared towards improving machinery and technology. This changed during the 20th century, when bureaucracy, hierarchy and control became more influential. The industry will continue to evolve and improve due to the demand for increased efficiency and productivity. With an ever-changing business environment and constant technological advancements, it is difficult to predict what might influence manufacturing systems in the future..