Taylorism, teams and technology in ‘reengineering’ work‐organization

This article critically examines the phenomenon of ‘Reengineering’ (or Business Process Reengineering: as it is sometimes called) as a transfer of ‘just‐in‐time’ techniques developed in manufacturing to the office environment. The article concludes that its most likely diffusion will be for ‘downsizing’ and ‘cost‐reduction’, and may result in a modest degree of success in only some of its applications to manufacturing and office environments.