Changing Nature of Working Practices in UK

This essay explores the changing nature of working practices in the UK, with a focus on the retail industry. It discusses the reasons behind these changes, such as technological advancements and evolving customer needs, and emphasizes the importance of adapting to sustain in the market. The essay also examines the relationship between work and socio-economic factors, using theories like Marx's theory of alienation and Durkheim's theory of division of labor.

Changing Nature of
Working Practices in
UK 3004

Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Main Body ......................................................................................................................................1
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6

Introduction
The activity that involves job in which person utilises mental or physical efforts for doing
it normally for money is referred to as work. This is being carried for producing or
accomplishment of any peculiar activity and is regarded as occupation that is done by individuals
(Worrall, Mather and Cooper, 2016). In context of industry, work refers to the efforts which are
being made by labour for attainment of overall goals of the organisation. For understanding the
concept of work in UK, retail has been taken into consideration. This sector has been evolved a
lot in context of ways in which operations are being carried out of them. The essay will provide
an insight into the work and alterations within practices over certain time frame.
Main Body
Work is defined as tasks that are carried out or performed by acquisition of efforts or
uninterrupted operations. Basically, it is activity that is directed towards doing or making
something. An example can be taken to understand this aspect like in Tesco give money in
exchange of the services like every other industry. The emphasis is laid on the ways in which
operations are being conducted by them and ensure that overall goals of organisation can be
attained. There are different reasons behind alterations or change within the ways operations are
being conducted by firms (Wilson, 2018). They are: evolution of technology (critical impact),
rapid change within needs of customers, high competition in the market, innovations are brought
in by the new organisation and to be competitive. These are the major reasons that industry is
evolving. For an instance, if firms are not providing their customers with their preferences then
they will definitely move towards other service providers which means that it will become
difficult for firms to sustain within the marketplace. Thus, change within the ways work is being
done by employees and firms on the whole has to be changed for being sustainable in the market
and have their unique brand reputation.
With reference to UK, there has been huge alterations in working of industry. People
have became more dependent on technology to have services by making few clicks rather than
going out and having them. Accordingly firms have to change their working methods to ensure
that they are able to address the needs of people. But while delivering their services, it is crucial
that organisation must involve their employees as they are liable for ensuring that goals are
attained (Ramsdal, 2016). There is high probability that they may not accept changes but they
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must be informed about all the probable aspects like why this is mandatory and accordingly
employees has to be involved or trained. For example, at present Tesco is providing their
customers with online or e-commerce services but if employees do not have knowledge related
with ways in which they have to work then it will be not possible or difficult for them to render
their services. Though, industry provide training with reference to ways in which they and also
train employees while any alterations are being made but it will be easy for individual to work in
an adequate manner when they will have technical knowledge. The other instance can be taken to
acknowledge this aspect like retail industry such as Tesco used manual methods for verification
of transactions or manual generation of receipts for purchases that are being made. But with
evolution of technology transaction processing system is being used by them to ensure that any
kind of mistakes that occur due to human errors can be prevented (Raco, 2016). This also implies
that there has to be precise knowledge related with their usage.
With the evolution of market and customers, alterations within the working methods have
also became mandatory to have adequate outcomes as per desired standards. The socio-economic
factors in context of work comprises of occupation, wealth, income, education and country to
which they belong. Though, while working in any industry all the factors must not be included as
all of them or not important but it has to be education that must be regarded as knowledge
possessed by individuals will lead firm to attain significant outcome rather then their income or
wealth status. For illustration of relationship between work and socio economic factors, different
theories are used, they are specified here. Marx theory of alienation, in this Marx have utilised
the concept of alienation for arguing that workers cannot realise or understand complete potential
in capitalism due to denied ownership of labour. The reason behind this is that capitalist class
have the sites in which work is being carried out as well as technological tools which are utilised
within the job. Working class experiences have few aspects related with their work that are under
their control. Work activities are central with reference to human psychology and while working
with certain conditions for capitalist socio-economic relations are posited like psychologically
alienating.
Workers only possess their own power of labour that they have to sell for surviving
within the market. In addition to this, capitalists are liable for exploiting workers by purchasing
labour power for less as compared to value that is being produced and thereby reaping profits
and surplus value (Phillipson, 2019). These work relations are responsible for separating workers
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socially as well as psychologically from products that are being created, processes through which
this is done, from themselves and their co-workers. The objective behind social separation of
individuals or workers that from production process leads to subjective corollary within the
psychological experience with reference to work alienation. This aspect is responsible for
creation of pessimistic impact of well-being as well as work performance of workers and this has
been associated with alcohol abuse, mental health symptoms and emotional exhaustion. As per
these situations, it has became crucial to examine alienation in context of social class along with
work related factors that are responsible for predicting alienation. This will aid or ameliorate
within dealing with alienation (Kochan and et. al., 2019). This comprises of three critical
phenomenon, they are: activism, class consciousness and social class which is liable for
illumination of pathways for controlling alienation. Class consciousness comprises of having
adequate understanding related with class relations which produces activism and alienation
which have probable impact on the relations.
Marx theory of alienation aids within having understanding related with work as well as
human nature with reference to ways in which individuals as examined as well as manner in
which they are connected with one other. Marx theory provides a refreshing view with reference
to ways in which work must be perceived. The critical conception with reference to work is that
it is posited through utilitarianism. AS per Marx, the conception of work acts as product attained
from alienated labour. The understanding associated work is referred to as isolation of workers
from fellows, themselves, processes and products of production. This is attained as outcome of
economic arena. For experiencing work like expression of creative life activities and species-
essence needs to deal within reorganization as well as alienation of society for establishment
relations that will aid to act with reference to essence of species (Holland and Jenkins, 2019).
The alienation which comes into existence is via relation of production which are being
found within the capitalist society. In this productive mode, situations which are critical for
alienation takes place. These are the real conditions under which workers within the capitalist
society are being forced by the necessities of subsistence as well as lack of ownership on means
related with production for selling labour power like commodities for others. This comprises of
four critical aspects as per Marx with reference to capitalist mode related with production, they
are: alienation of workers from products associated with labour, alienation that is experienced
within labour or production process, from human or species-essence and alienation that prevails
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from society or man from man. This can be seen as overall or nested together with one other but
they are one aspects that is related with reality that is alienated labour.
The Marx theory has been specified above with reference to relationship that prevails
among work as well as socio-economic class. To illustrate the same aspect Durkheim theory of
division of labour will be specified in this section to have broad insight into the aspect or
relationship which exist (Hayes, 2018). This theory will render insight overview with reference
to establishment of peculiar jobs for peculiar people that creates benefits for society as this
enhances reproductive capacity of processes along with skill set that is being possessed by
workers. It leads to creation of feeling related with solidarity that prevails among people who
have lost their jobs. As per Durkheim, the division of labour is beyond the economic interests as
while carrying out the process this establish social along with moral order in the society. This
aspect is in the direct proportion with moral or dynamic density of society.
The word function is utilised in context of two different perspectives, first denotes
function like a system has a vital movement in which reference is not given to consequences that
will be created through these movements. The second perspective illustrates relationship which
prevails among these movements as well as corresponding requirements of the organism. There
exist two social solidarity as per Durkheim, they azre mechanical as well as organic. The
mechanical solidarity is liable for connecting individuals with society without any kind of
intermediary which implies that society is organised in collective manner as well as all the
members of group are liable for sharing same set of core beliefs as well as tasks.
In context of organic class, society is seen as complex which illustrates a system that
comprises of distinct functions which are united as a definite relationships. Each individual
within organisation like Tesco have to carry out different tasks and jobs along with this, they
have their own personality which differentiate them from each other. In addition to this, each
have their respective method for accomplishment of tasks (Baldwin, 2018). As per Durkheim,
the laws of society are considered as visible symbols associated with social solidarity as well as
ways in which they have been organised with reference to social life in stable and precise form.
Law acts as critical aspect within the society which acts as nervous system which aids within
carrying out bodily functions through which operations can be carried out in harmony. With
reference to human societies there are restitutive (organic) law and repressive (moral) law. The
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repressive law is associated with centre for common consciousness in which each participates
within punishing as well as judging the perpetrator.
With reference to this, the severity of crime will not be measured in context of damage
that has been incurred but damage that has been caused to society. For an example like Tesco is
delivering their services and workers throw the waste in streets or any place means it is not
decomposed adequately then this will have pessimistic impact on environment thus on society on
the whole. The second of law i.e. restitutive emphasise on victim in context of crime that has
been occurred but as such there are no common beliefs with reference to what damage is being
caused to the society (Worrall, Mather and Cooper, 2016) . This acts as correspondent to organic
state of the society. Both these are directly associated with degree of development of the society.
The objective of Durkheim is evaluation of social changes associated with industrialisation and
emphasis is laid on having understanding with reference to industrialized society. It is important
that industry like retail must emphasise on ways in which services are being delivered. This is
necessary to abide to them to acknowledge the probable impact that will be created by the ways
services are being delivered to society and individuals working within.
Conclusion
From above it can be concluded that, work refers to the tasks that are being carried out by
an individual in return for money. The working practices leads to creation of affirmative
influence on individuals in the ways activities are conducted. With rapid growth in the market, it
becomes necessary to acknowledge various aspects in context of changes to ensure that peculiar
industry is able to deliver their services in precise and as per desired standards. In addition to
this, it is necessary to alter the working practices as per the needs to ensure that they can sustain
within the market.
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References
Books & Journals
Baldwin, L., 2018. The changing nature of the role. Leading English in the Primary School: A
Subject Leader's Guide.
Hayes, J., 2018. The theory and practice of change management. Palgrave.
Holland, K. and Jenkins, J. eds., 2019. Applying the Roper-Logan-Tierney Model in Practice-E-
Book. Elsevier Health Sciences.
Kochan, T.A. and et. al., 2019. The changing nature of employee and labor-management
relationships. Annual Review of Organizational Psycho
Phillipson, C., 2019. ‘Fuller’or ‘extended’working lives? Critical perspectives on changing
transitions from work to retirement. Ageing and Society, 39(3), pp.629-650.
Raco, M., 2016. Mass privatisation and the changing nature of governance in the UK. Rethinking
Governance: Ruling, rationalities and resistance.
Ramsdal, H., 2016. Flexible organizations and the new working life: A European perspective.
Routledge.
Wilson, R.G., 2018. Disillusionment or New Opportunities?: The Changing Nature of Work in
Offices, Glasgow 1880–1914. Routledge.
Worrall, L., Mather, K. and Cooper, C.L., 2016. The changing nature of professional and
managerial work: Issues and challenges from an empirical study of the UK.
In Perspectives on Contemporary Professional Work. Edward Elgar Publishing.
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