Marc L. Silver

Under construction : work and alienation in the building trades

companies, Noyelle shows that responses to human resource problems were catalysts for changing the structure of internal labor markets. At R.H. Macy & Co., it was the transformation of the managerial structure and new inventory controls; at New York Telephone, it was changing electronic skill requirements and the need for aggressive affirmative action policies; and at an insurance company, it was the diffusion of data processing. In all three cases, however, there was a clear relationship between the internal labor market transformation and the intensification of product market competition. Although I found the essays on the changing structure of internal labor markets provocative and the three case studies well crafted, I thought the linkages among them were relatively weak and not well developed. Nevertheless, I do recommend this book to anyone who is trying to understand the changes under way in labor market structures and their implications for employment opportunity and stability.

Construction workers, U.S.A.

Preface Prologue: The Thousand-Yard Pour Introduction The Construction Industry: Overview Construction Workers The Job Site Independence and Autonomy Accidents, Danger, and Death Job Satisfaction among Construction Workers Overview of the Construction Industry Women in Construction Minorities in Construction Summary and Conclusion Bibliography Index Appendix