Monopoly Power upon the World of Work: A Workplace Analysis in the Logistics Segment Under Automation

Valeria Cirillo, Francesco Sabato Massimo (), Matteo Rinaldini, Jacopo Staccioli and Maria Enrica Virgillito
Additional contact information
Francesco Sabato Massimo: UNIBO - Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna = University of Bologna, CSO - Centre de sociologie des organisations (Sciences Po, CNRS) - Sciences Po - Sciences Po - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique

Post-Print from HAL

Abstract: This paper aims to investigate the impact of monopoly power on the world of work within the logistics segment, particularly in the context of automation processes. We conduct a fieldwork analysis of three workplaces situated in Italy, each owned by distinct types of monopolies: a corporate monopoly, Philip Morris, the global leader in tobacco and cigarette production; a state-owned monopoly, Poste Italiane, the exclusive public provider of mail services within the national borders; and a novel form of digital monopoly that holds control over intangibles and exhibits monopsonistic control over labour — Amazon. Through a comparative examination of these three diverse forms of monopolies, utilising corporate-level metrics and patent data, we scrutinise the restructuring of labour processes following the introduction of Automated Guided Vehicles. Employing a qualitative analysis that includes semi-structured interviews with HR professionals, IT specialists, and workers, we underscore that powerful monopolies play a crucial role in shaping the trajectory of technological development, adoption, and utilisation. Despite notable distinctions observed among the three cases, we document a common trend of standardisation and codification of human activities when interfacing with automated machines.

Keywords: Automation; Intangibles Assets; Monopoly power; Labour process; Organisation of work; Logistics (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024-12-19
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Published in Review of Political Economy, 2024, pp.1-33. ⟨10.1080/09538259.2024.2419611⟩

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:hal-04866980

DOI: 10.1080/09538259.2024.2419611

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Post-Print from HAL
Bibliographic data for series maintained by CCSD ().