The first assembly was used in shipbuilding in 1807 in England. This was by Henry Maudsley and Marc Brunel who developed machines that would saw, mortise, drill, turn, recess and Shape wood to make ship pulleys. This was done through 45 machines in the Portsmouth block-making operation. Initially, the technology of the assembly line did not spread fast in England as a result of opposition from workers.
Henry Ford perfected the assembly line technology by adding the principles of controlled movement and conveyance to the metal-based industry. This made continuity possible. He also tinkered with assembly line layouts and assembly line machinery to make it more efficient and faster (Sun, 2011). His focus was on designing machine tools that would increase the output. He initiated the time-and-motion studies on conveyor belts for his engineers. This greatly improved the process.
Henry Ford’s assembly line was welcomed well by Americans even before he produced his famous Model T. In the 1920s, Ford’s assembly line was praised for the unrivalled salaries that the company was able to offer even its semi-skilled workers. With time, people started to blame him for the deterioration working conditions in his plant as well as for his arbitrary management and autocratic rule in the company (Sun, 2011).
The assembly line greatly influenced American culture by making transportation easily accessible. City consumers and farmers could now enjoy highway transportation rather than the monopolistic rail transport. The production of the automobile meant that people could have a cleaner alternative to traffic and health problems associated with horses. Most importantly, the American people could now have Access to personal mobility and the freedom to choose where to live, do business and pursue leisure-time activities.
The first thing that catches my attention on this advertisement is the woman. The woman is apparently ordering Jell-O dessert and asking for all seven flavors. She is beautiful, well-clothed and generally seems content and well-to-do (judging from her clothes and golden bangle). This grabs the attention of the audience through emotional transfer. The sense of contentment and beauty is to be transferred to the audience and make them feel good about themselves. The advert has some sex appeal element to it achieved by using the beautiful woman. Other attention grabbers include the creation of hype claiming that Jell-O is America’s most popular dessert and the affordable price tag of ten cents per package. The words “Jell-O” are also easy to pronounce and catchy, especially for children. This attractiveness in the name enables the creation of a household name.
The advertisement sends some messages about the society as well. Through it, connectedness through communication may be seen. The advert highlights the societal roles of women. It hints at women being in positions whereby they deal with matters related to food. It also shows a bit of objectification of women since the beauty and attractiveness of this woman is used to appeal to customers. This advertisement also sends subtle messages on socio-economic status by implying that the product is meant for a particular target market. This is because it uses an expensively dressed woman with an air of contentment on her face. It may also be used to elevate the status of the product by implying that its consumers belong to a high socioeconomic class.
There are several challenges that U.S. manufacturers must overcome in the face of globalization of business. The major challenge is in overcoming global competition in the world market by changing into newer manufacturing processes. The process of changing into new global processes such as Just in Time (JIT) is challenging. This is because it involves an evaluation of the existing manufacturing processes such as large lot sizes, plan layouts, poor quality and inflexible setup times which if not evaluated would result in failure. A difficult challenge to grapple with in JIT processes is in reducing materials handling and improving quality. The challenge is in establishing short setup and handling moves. In this regard, maintaining accuracy and forecasting when parts are needed is a major challenge when using old equipment.
The second challenge is in overcoming social, organizational and managerial barriers to the adoption of new manufacturing practices. This is because workers may resist the new technologies introduced. Worker revolts may happen for fear that they will lose their jobs. Another scenario that manufacturers must avoid is that which resistance to new technological advancements in manufacturing may lead to close down of plants or decrease in production to a point that consumers will prefer foreign firms to American ones (Sun, 2011).
The third challenge to overcome is the effect that changes in manufacturing will cause on the income distribution in society. When the hierarchical structures of organizations are flattened, they will result in fewer middle management positions. This will cause workers to be pushed to occupational levels where they are paid less. This will eventually contribute to the widening of the income gap between the highest earners and the lowest earners.
References
Sun, S. (2011). The Strategic Role of Lean Production in SOE's Development. International Journal of Business and Management, 6(2), 160-168.
