"Labour, Globalisation and The New Economy" - rldwl

geographical breakdown aimed at understanding both the concentration processes and the size and the nature
of the intra-corporation exchanges in comparison with the market ones. Charting is an essential activity also
with a view to having a dynamic understanding of the phenomenon. It would be very useful if some papers
were dedicated to this theme, even if only proposing an international research plan to be developed at a later
stage.
2.2.2 Ict as horizontal technology and as branch of industry
Horizontal technology
ICT is at the same time a horizontal technology, which is the modern equivalent of Marx's definition of
autocratic automa in regard to steam as a source of power for industrialisation, and an industrial sector. It is a
matter of empirically exploring and formulating theoretically consistent exploratory hypotheses, to such an
extent that such a new horizontal technology will redefine the organisational, managerial patterns, the
technical and social division of labour into the economic activities that have turned the incorporation/exploitation
of such a technology into the distinguishing feature of their activity, whether traditional or new and
whether alternative or different utilisation modes to it exist. Lastly, it is a matter of documenting the
consequences on the social regulation of work that ensue and, vice-versa, how it redefines and shapes the
utilisation of such technologies. Among these activities particularly important are those linked to the socalled
technological convergence (the world of the old and new media). It would be highly useful to have
some papers that describe situations in the world of the media and/or indicate the conceptual frameworks
necessary and analyse them.
Branch of industry
By now there are economic sectors - not just manufacturing - in which the object of the activity is ICT as
such, in both its hardware and software components. Of these the three most relevant ones, from the social
and economic standpoint, are: a) the production of silicon chips; b) the production of software - the so-called
'software factory'); c) the world of telecommunications and that of the services and computer-based
equipment production, necessary for its working. The working conditions of these activities, for different
reasons, seem to be extremely critical even after a first superficial evaluation. It would be very useful to have
a paper presented on these sectors, both describing the situations analysed and indicating methodological
ideas as to how to organise an international investigation.
2.2.3 The problems of organisation and definition of union policies
Notoriously, the world over, there are sectors with a very low level of unionisation in these areas of activity.
It would be very useful to have papers that analyse the union situation in these activities, that investigated the
causes of the difficulties and presented case studies, both negative and positive. Even in this case, useful
papers should be addressed to defining the criteria for a international review and analysis of the overall
situation (from the factual data to the comparative analysis of the Industrial Relations systems).
2.2.4 The scope for public policies both on local and national scale
In this case, it is a matter of evaluating the problem of the weight of the supranational economic powers-thatbe,
and the effect that they produce upon all the classical work issues. In this context there may even be room
for the themes relating to the initiatives of the NGOs, the "no global" campaigns and more generally the
theme of rights also outside the working ambient.
2.2.5 Do company strategies exist in the field of economic activity inspired by win-win criteria in
regard to the world of work (explicitly including the unions)?
It is a matter of addressing the invitation to the national and supranational entrepreneurial associations
inviting them to present case studies that are inspired by the win - win principle.
3. The new economy as ideology
Without needing to add any particular research to what is already under everybody's eyes, it would be of
great interest to have some papers with a more cultural anthropology slant taking a look at management
6 - 14 May 2002