Henry Ford popularized the assembly line that characterizes the production process known as Fordism.
The concept of Fordism refers to the system that is based on chain or series production . Its name derives from Henry Ford , the founder of the vehicle manufacturer Ford Motor Company .
It is important to note that Henry Ford made popular the assembly line that Ransom Eli Olds had invented, one of the most relevant figures in the world of North American motorsports. Assembly line refers to the manufacturing process in which each part is added as the product progresses through the workstation , until the final assembly is achieved.
Gramsci, creator of the concept
Regarding the term Fordism , it was coined by the theorist Antonio Gramsci , who used it in the title of his essay Americanism and Fordism , included in his Notebooks from Prison . Gramsci also excelled in several fields, such as philosophy, politics and journalism, and his written works deal with sociology, linguistics, anthropology and politics. In addition, he is considered one of the promoters of the Italian Communist Party and went to prison during Benito Mussolini's regime.
By appealing to the assembly line that makes chain production possible, Ford managed to start manufacturing a large number of automobiles at low cost. This method required many specialized workers using machines and performing repetitive tasks.
Fordism enabled a growth in consumption.
Objectives and consequences of Fordism
Fordism was committed to the expansion of consumption and, therefore, the market . Expanding production and offering many products at a reduced cost allowed more people to access goods that, until then, had been closed to them.
How did Fordism manage to include the less favored classes in the dynamics of supply and demand? Well, it's all due to the manufacturing of products in a much larger volume, thanks in part to the technology used to assemble them and the cost reduction that naturally followed, which also shortened manufacturing periods; These factors led to the emergence of a surplus that could no longer be consumed by the elite , and it then became necessary to sell it to another portion of society.
>With the implementation of Fordism on a global scale, important social and economic changes occurred. This production system contributed to the emergence of the middle class and specialized workers , for example. At the same time, it caused the control of productive time to cease to be in the hands of the workers and to depend on the chain .
The antecedent of Taylorism
As an antecedent of Fordism, Taylorism can be mentioned, a way of organizing work based on the division of tasks. Taylorism, like Fordism, sought to increase productivity and take control of production time away from the worker.
One of the main differences between Fordism and Taylorism is that the former managed to innovate production processes through market expansion, a strategy that did not generate as great an impact on the worker as the latter. Thanks to promoting specialization, Fordism transformed the industry scheme and considerably reduced costs, giving a new perspective to the markets of the 20th century. Workers began to enjoy better job opportunities while the consumption of certain products was opened to many more people, and in this way it was possible to conquer new challenges at the industrial level.
According to many economists, capitalism has already transcended the era of Fordism and entered post-Fordism , focused on services and information technologies. Generic goods are no longer produced, but companies find greater profitability in the production of several different lines that are aimed at specific sets of consumers.