Henry Ford and Fordism Flashcards
(1 cards)
Question:
Who was Henry Ford, and what is Fordism? How does this model work, and how can it be applied in a modern office, factory, or workplace?
Answer:
Henry Ford (1863–1947) was an American industrialist who founded the Ford Motor Company and revolutionised production by introducing the moving assembly line in 1913. This became the foundation of Fordism — a model of mass production and efficiency.
🔧 Core Features of Fordism:
Assembly Line Production – Break work into small, repetitive tasks performed in sequence.
Standardisation – Use uniform tools, parts, and processes.
High Wages for Low-Skill Jobs – e.g. Ford’s famous $5/day wage.
Productivity + Affordability – Make products faster and cheaper for mass consumption.
🏭 Factory Example:
In car manufacturing, each worker performs one simple task repeatedly, such as fitting tyres or installing windows, while the product moves down the line. This speeds up production massively.
🏢 Modern Office Example:
In admin or call centres, Fordist ideas show up in highly structured workflows — like invoice processing or customer service scripts — where employees repeat the same task quickly with little variation.
📊 Why It Matters:
Boosts productivity and consistency
Easy to train and replace workers
Makes services/products more affordable
Criticised for causing boredom, deskilling, and low autonomy
