Question 3: Effects of mechanization
Mechanization is the introduction of machines and automatic devices into a company, to contribute to the completion of a process or activity. Advanced industrial societies have embraced mechanization in their operations, which have affected the human employment levels and practices as more work is done by the mechanization equipment.
Mechanization has first led to stagnant wages. Since the roles employed people are reducing, the wages have stagnated as companies are acquiring robots to perform challenging tasks. Robots have been seen as faster and reliable than humans; hence most responsibilities have been taken by the robots. Since humans perform less work, compared to the robots, more duties are performed by the machines. Industries are embracing the new innovative ways, which reduce the tasks undertaken by humans employed. As the tasks reduce, wages remain stagnant or are even reduced to cater for the maintenance of the machines.
Also, there has been diminishing job creation since many companies are now embracing the use of robots in their operations. The emerging jobs are assigned to the mechanization tools, which then reduce the created employment. The jobs that arise are for the running of the machines, which then benefit persons with computer and robotics skills only. The percentage of employment creation is low, which increases the rate of unemployment.
Unemployment also occurs through high employee turnover. The turnover is caused by a lack of jobs as machines take up the human effort required in companies. Therefore, since advanced industrial societies prefer robots due to their efficiency, most of the jobs have been replaced by robots, hence making the humans jobless. This has led to a high number of people losing their jobs, hence increasing the unemployment levels. Technological activities on mechanization are also increasing, which shows prolonged unemployment in the future.
Mechanization has also led to inequalities in societies. This effect is because as most people lose their jobs when responsibilities have been given to the robots, the existing jobs are offered to the wealthy individuals. This act leaves the poor with no employment, thus drifting the connection between the rich and poor. Running of computerized equipment is an easier job than casual work; hence as turnover increases, the poor are more affected than the productive holding higher ranks in the companies. Therefore, it causes declining incomes among people as individuals with various skills to lack employment, which can provide income for them. The declining income also arises from underemployment due to fewer jobs created in the industries.
