Critical Social Theory and the End of Work examines the development and sociological significance of the idea that work is being eliminated through the use of advanced production technology. Granter's engagement with the work of key American and European figures such as Marx, Marcuse, Gorz, Habermas and Negri, focuses his arguments for the abolition of labour as a response to the current socio-historical changes affecting our work ethic and consumer ideology. By combining history of ideas with social theory, this book considers how the 'end of work' thesis has developed and has been critically implemented in the analysis of modern society. This book will appeal to scholars of sociology, history of ideas, social and cultural theory as well as those working in the fields of critical management and sociology of work.

Critical Social Theory and the End of Work examines the development and sociological significance of the idea that work is being eliminated through the use of advanced production technology. Granter's engagement with the work of key American and European figures such as Marx, Marcuse, Gorz, Habermas and Negri, focuses his arguments for the abolition of labour as a response to the current socio-historical changes affecting our work ethic and consumer ideology. By combining history of ideas with social theory, this book considers how the 'end of work' thesis has developed and has been critically implemented in the analysis of modern society. This book will appeal to scholars of sociology, history of ideas, social and cultural theory as well as those working in the fields of critical management and sociology of work.

Who are NHS middle managers? What do they do, and why and how do they do it'? This book explores the daily realities of working life for middle managers in the UK's National Health Service during a time of radical change and disruption to the entire edifice of publicly-funded healthcare. It is an empirical critique of the movement towards a healthcare model based around HMO-type providers such as Kaiser Permanente and United Health. Although this model is well-known internationally, many believe it to be financially and ethically questionable, and often far from 'best practice' when it comes to patient care. Drawing on immersive ethnographic research based on four case studies - an Acute Hospital Trust, an Ambulance Trust, a Mental Health Trust, and a Primary Care Trust - this book provides an in-depth critical appraisal of the everyday experiences of a range of managers working in the NHS. It describes exactly what NHS managers do and explains how their roles are changing and the types of challenges they face. The analysis explains how many NHS junior and middle managers are themselves clinicians to some extent, with hybrid roles as simultaneously nurse and manager, midwife and manager, or paramedic and manager. While commonly working in 'back office' functions, NHS middle managers are also just as likely to be working very close to or actually on the front lines of patient care. Despite the problems they regularly face from organizational restructuring, cost control and demands for accountability, the authors demonstrate that NHS managers - in their various guises - play critical, yet undervalued, institutional roles. Depicting the darker sides of organizational change, this text is a sociological exploration of the daily struggle for work dignity of a complex, widely denigrated, and largely misunderstood group of public servants trying to do their best under extremely trying circumstances. It is essential reading for academics, students, and practitioners interested in health management and policy, organisational change, public sector management, and the NHS more broadly.

Who are NHS middle managers? What do they do, and why and how do they do it'? This book explores the daily realities of working life for middle managers in the UK's National Health Service during a time of radical change and disruption to the entire edifice of publicly-funded healthcare. It is an empirical critique of the movement towards a healthcare model based around HMO-type providers such as Kaiser Permanente and United Health. Although this model is well-known internationally, many believe it to be financially and ethically questionable, and often far from 'best practice' when it comes to patient care. Drawing on immersive ethnographic research based on four case studies - an Acute Hospital Trust, an Ambulance Trust, a Mental Health Trust, and a Primary Care Trust - this book provides an in-depth critical appraisal of the everyday experiences of a range of managers working in the NHS. It describes exactly what NHS managers do and explains how their roles are changing and the types of challenges they face. The analysis explains how many NHS junior and middle managers are themselves clinicians to some extent, with hybrid roles as simultaneously nurse and manager, midwife and manager, or paramedic and manager. While commonly working in 'back office' functions, NHS middle managers are also just as likely to be working very close to or actually on the front lines of patient care. Despite the problems they regularly face from organizational restructuring, cost control and demands for accountability, the authors demonstrate that NHS managers - in their various guises - play critical, yet undervalued, institutional roles. Depicting the darker sides of organizational change, this text is a sociological exploration of the daily struggle for work dignity of a complex, widely denigrated, and largely misunderstood group of public servants trying to do their best under extremely trying circumstances. It is essential reading for academics, students, and practitioners interested in health management and policy, organisational change, public sector management, and the NHS more broadly.

'Definitive, critical and engaging, this is a superb introduction to the sociology of work.' Leo McCann Now in a fully updated third edition, The Sociology of Work draws on the work of classic and contemporary theorists, to provide readers with a thorough exploration of all aspects of work and employment, including paid and unpaid work, standard and non-standard employment, and unemployment. The new edition includes: Two new chapters on "Work, Skill and the Labour Process" and "Managing Culture at Work". Expanded coverage of the rise and decline of trade unions; emotional labour, misbehaviour, and resistance at work. Further discussion of the gig economy and precarious work; automation and the end of work; globalization and human rights. For Sociology and Business students, taking modules in work, employment and society.

'Definitive, critical and engaging, this is a superb introduction to the sociology of work.' Leo McCann Now in a fully updated third edition, The Sociology of Work draws on the work of classic and contemporary theorists, to provide readers with a thorough exploration of all aspects of work and employment, including paid and unpaid work, standard and non-standard employment, and unemployment. The new edition includes: Two new chapters on "Work, Skill and the Labour Process" and "Managing Culture at Work". Expanded coverage of the rise and decline of trade unions; emotional labour, misbehaviour, and resistance at work. Further discussion of the gig economy and precarious work; automation and the end of work; globalization and human rights. For Sociology and Business students, taking modules in work, employment and society.

The SAGE Handbook of the Sociology of Work and Employment is a landmark collection of original contributions by leading specialists from around the world. The coverage is both comprehensive and comparative (in terms of time and space) and each 'state of the art' chapter provides a critical review of the literature combined with some thoughts on the direction of research. This authoritative text is structured around six core themes: Historical Context and Social Divisions The Experience of Work The Organization of Work Nonstandard Work and Employment Work and Life beyond Employment Globalization and the Future of Work. Globally, the contours of work and employment are changing dramatically. This handbook helps academics and practitioners make sense of the impact of these changes on individuals, groups, organizations and societies. Written in an accessible style with a helpful introduction, the retrospective and prospective nature of this volume will be an essential resource for students, teachers and policy-makers across a range of fields, from business and management, to sociology and organization studies.