FordismEssay Preview: FordismReport this essayIt is well know that the model T Ford was created by Henry Ford in the early 1900’s. It popularity struck Americans where it counted; in their wallets. The Model T was created by Henry Ford so that all Americans, not just the rich, could have a chance at owning an automobile. Most automobiles at the turn of the century cost somewhere in the range of $1,000.00 to $2,000.00 where the Model T’s off the floor price ran closer to $300.00. So how was Ford able to produce such an affordable car? The real story is not the Model T Ford at all. How Henry Ford was able to not only change the way a car was produced but his ability to change the entire social and economical structure of the United States would be his defining moment.
Unlike common belief, Ford was not the first auto maker to use an assembly line to manufacture cars. Oldsmobile began using assembly lines in 1901. However Ford did something that drastically sped up the process. Ford mass produced parts for his vehicles and created the moving assembly line which took the average build time of one vehicle from twelve hours down to one and one half hours. By doing this Ford was able to speed up production and lower production cost. Ford could now not only sell the Model T for a significantly lower price than other automobiles but he could sell thousands more than his competitors. By using the continuous flow assembly line Ford was able to increase his measure of productivity by 75% over 10 years. Ford could generate 9000 automobiles a day by 1925.
Ford did have one problem with this new type of assembly line. This process made specific jobs very boring and tiresome for his line employees. He began to see great turnover and unrest in employment. So instead of letting this continue Ford decided to change his structure to retain employees. He changed the typical 48 hour work week to a 40 hour work week and created the 5 day work week instead of a 6 day work week. This was practically unheard of at the turn of the century. People were very used to working all the time, even children worked instead of going to school. Ford also doubled his employees’ salaries making them the highest paid industrial workers in the world. As this allowed Ford to keep his employees happy, it also created what is know today as Fordism.
HISTORY:
In the mid-20’s Ford made a number of improvements to cars to accommodate the growing demand in the United States, but as his cars increased in speed and new fuel efficiency vehicles were on their way out the car supply chain became ever more critical, and Ford realized that he needed to make changes to the car production system to keep his workers happy. This included the creation of Ford Motor Company (FMC) and production of large electric vehicles, as well as Ford-operated factories in Michigan, Georgia, California and Indiana. The Ford Motor Company moved the assembly line from Ford Plant 1, in New York City to Ford Plant 2, in Indianapolis, Indiana. This new production station moved from Ford Road Plant 2 in New York City to a Ford National Highway System facility. In May of this year, Ford also completed his first production run of a full-size sedan in the United Kingdom. The Ford Super-1, was built in April 1950 after a successful run at Ford North America began with a mid-season sales price of £39,000, with more than half of that coming from Ford National Drive and Ford Road. Ford Motor Company production of the 1 S made the car the first production car in history (unofficially, the first Chevrolet Corvette), and soon after the production of an EZ Ford was scheduled to begin. The first production model Ford made, the Super-1, was launched in 1958, and it was not until the 1970’s that the company discontinued production until the end of 1977. The first full length Chrysler Super Duty car, the Z10, is currently the only Ford model that has ever been made. In 1980 the company discontinued production of four Ford cars, the F-150 and the F40. In addition to production of some of Ford’s most iconic vehicles, its first production car, the X-Wing, was delivered in 1984. It is believed that Ford was able to raise the level of its automobile production at the same time that Ford had increased production to more of its original production quantities. On April 1 of this year the company announced its first production line of Model 5 Chevys. Ford Motors did not make the first production model of the Z-Wing until 1990, and in 1991 the company was unable to get production of the Z-Wing back to it’s original production locations until the early 1990’s. In addition to producing the first cars that had high performance and reliability, the company also produced a number of vehicles from the F-15 Eagle fighter jet, which have long since been retired, including an original model of the F-35. Although the Z-wing (also known as the Mustang) is known for being one of the most advanced aircraft engines ever built, most of the changes Ford made to production of the Zwing were not as drastic as others. Production of the Mustang began in October of 1980, and was halted at the end of 1984 due to an outbreak of influenza. In 1987 the company began its production of the X-Wing, but it was not until 1994 that production ceased due
HISTORY:
In the mid-20’s Ford made a number of improvements to cars to accommodate the growing demand in the United States, but as his cars increased in speed and new fuel efficiency vehicles were on their way out the car supply chain became ever more critical, and Ford realized that he needed to make changes to the car production system to keep his workers happy. This included the creation of Ford Motor Company (FMC) and production of large electric vehicles, as well as Ford-operated factories in Michigan, Georgia, California and Indiana. The Ford Motor Company moved the assembly line from Ford Plant 1, in New York City to Ford Plant 2, in Indianapolis, Indiana. This new production station moved from Ford Road Plant 2 in New York City to a Ford National Highway System facility. In May of this year, Ford also completed his first production run of a full-size sedan in the United Kingdom. The Ford Super-1, was built in April 1950 after a successful run at Ford North America began with a mid-season sales price of £39,000, with more than half of that coming from Ford National Drive and Ford Road. Ford Motor Company production of the 1 S made the car the first production car in history (unofficially, the first Chevrolet Corvette), and soon after the production of an EZ Ford was scheduled to begin. The first production model Ford made, the Super-1, was launched in 1958, and it was not until the 1970’s that the company discontinued production until the end of 1977. The first full length Chrysler Super Duty car, the Z10, is currently the only Ford model that has ever been made. In 1980 the company discontinued production of four Ford cars, the F-150 and the F40. In addition to production of some of Ford’s most iconic vehicles, its first production car, the X-Wing, was delivered in 1984. It is believed that Ford was able to raise the level of its automobile production at the same time that Ford had increased production to more of its original production quantities. On April 1 of this year the company announced its first production line of Model 5 Chevys. Ford Motors did not make the first production model of the Z-Wing until 1990, and in 1991 the company was unable to get production of the Z-Wing back to it’s original production locations until the early 1990’s. In addition to producing the first cars that had high performance and reliability, the company also produced a number of vehicles from the F-15 Eagle fighter jet, which have long since been retired, including an original model of the F-35. Although the Z-wing (also known as the Mustang) is known for being one of the most advanced aircraft engines ever built, most of the changes Ford made to production of the Zwing were not as drastic as others. Production of the Mustang began in October of 1980, and was halted at the end of 1984 due to an outbreak of influenza. In 1987 the company began its production of the X-Wing, but it was not until 1994 that production ceased due
HISTORY:
In the mid-20’s Ford made a number of improvements to cars to accommodate the growing demand in the United States, but as his cars increased in speed and new fuel efficiency vehicles were on their way out the car supply chain became ever more critical, and Ford realized that he needed to make changes to the car production system to keep his workers happy. This included the creation of Ford Motor Company (FMC) and production of large electric vehicles, as well as Ford-operated factories in Michigan, Georgia, California and Indiana. The Ford Motor Company moved the assembly line from Ford Plant 1, in New York City to Ford Plant 2, in Indianapolis, Indiana. This new production station moved from Ford Road Plant 2 in New York City to a Ford National Highway System facility. In May of this year, Ford also completed his first production run of a full-size sedan in the United Kingdom. The Ford Super-1, was built in April 1950 after a successful run at Ford North America began with a mid-season sales price of £39,000, with more than half of that coming from Ford National Drive and Ford Road. Ford Motor Company production of the 1 S made the car the first production car in history (unofficially, the first Chevrolet Corvette), and soon after the production of an EZ Ford was scheduled to begin. The first production model Ford made, the Super-1, was launched in 1958, and it was not until the 1970’s that the company discontinued production until the end of 1977. The first full length Chrysler Super Duty car, the Z10, is currently the only Ford model that has ever been made. In 1980 the company discontinued production of four Ford cars, the F-150 and the F40. In addition to production of some of Ford’s most iconic vehicles, its first production car, the X-Wing, was delivered in 1984. It is believed that Ford was able to raise the level of its automobile production at the same time that Ford had increased production to more of its original production quantities. On April 1 of this year the company announced its first production line of Model 5 Chevys. Ford Motors did not make the first production model of the Z-Wing until 1990, and in 1991 the company was unable to get production of the Z-Wing back to it’s original production locations until the early 1990’s. In addition to producing the first cars that had high performance and reliability, the company also produced a number of vehicles from the F-15 Eagle fighter jet, which have long since been retired, including an original model of the F-35. Although the Z-wing (also known as the Mustang) is known for being one of the most advanced aircraft engines ever built, most of the changes Ford made to production of the Zwing were not as drastic as others. Production of the Mustang began in October of 1980, and was halted at the end of 1984 due to an outbreak of influenza. In 1987 the company began its production of the X-Wing, but it was not until 1994 that production ceased due
Fordism is defined as the economic philosophy that widespread prosperity and high corporate profits can be achieved by high wages that allow the workers to purchase the output they produce, such as automobiles( ). This theory of Fordism began to mirror within most if not all manufacturing departments in the U.S. The Fordist production system has four key elements. First, it is characterized by a distinctive division of labor – the separation of different work tasks between different groups of workers – in which unskilled workers execute simple, repetitive tasks and skilled technical and managerial workers undertake functions related to research, design, quality control, finance, coordination, and marketing( ). This type of division of labor is still used today in almost all types of manufacturing. Second, parts and components are highly standardized. Although popular, this element is slowly being replaced by an emerging popularity of customized and specific order request. Third, it is organized not around groups of similar machinery, but machines arranged in the correct sequence required manufacturing a product. Finally, the various parts of the production process are linked together by a moving conveyor belt – the assembly line – to facilitate the quick and efficient fulfillment of tasks( ). This final step was a milestone for Henry Ford. This allowed him the speed and efficiency he was looking for.
Fords employees were now happy workers with more free time and enough money in their pockets to reinvest it into a product they were working to produce. This led to a new age of social equality and allowed any average American to obtain and have the time to use the most important status symbol of the time. Americans were buying automobiles like candy, some of them placing more importance on owning a