The rise of modern labour management : the formalisation of employment and work relations in Australian manufacturing industry, 1940-1972

This thesis analyses the development of labour management practice in Australian manufacturing industry, focussing in particular on the period from the 1940s to the beginning of the 1970s. In so doing, the thesis aims first, to fill a gap within existing Australian research over the role of the employer in workplace industrial relations, and second to contribute to broader theoretical debates about management control of the labour process. The post Second World War period was one of substantial change for Australian management. Industry grew rapidly, and with such growth there evolved an increasing sophistication in management techniques. A managerial ethos developed, represented by the establishment of professional bodies, the publication of management journals, and the provision of management education. Australian industry also became increasingly aware of overseas developments. Multinational firms and management consultancies, with established links to American and British industry, disseminated and introduced new management practices