Scientists in Industry: Conflict and Accommodation, William Kornhauser

Remarks on 40+ Years of Mechanical Engineering Teaching

“…The occupational code focuses the attention of engineers upon the first links in the chain of consequences of technological innovation and diverts their attention, both as specialists and as citizens, from succeeding links in the chain as, for example, the consequences for wage levels and employment opportunities'. As observed by Butler (1963), '… The professional in industry rarely enjoys the same ready acquiescence to his recommendations as does the doctor or lawyer, whose patients and clients are prone to respect the authority of those they consult. "Since the research scientist does not take the major risks, he does not acquire the right to the last word."…”

Occupations, Organizations, and Boundaryless Careers

“…Based on this distinction, early research often assumed that the employment of professionals in organizations inevitably resulted in high levels of conflict for organizations, and in work alienation for individual professionals. Kornhauser (1962), for example, in a study of scientists employed in industry identified four key issues on which professional/organizational conflicts frequently occurred: recruitment (professionals value technical competence, while managers value administrative potential); organization of work (professionals prefer same-discipline groups, while managers favor mixed task forces); assignment of group leadership (professionals choose individuals with high professional status as leaders, while managers choose individuals with a strong administrative orientation as leaders); and outcome of scientific research (professionals follow norms of research dissemination to colleagues, while managers tend to view findings as proprietary). Similar points of conflict have been documented in other research (e.g., Daniels 1969;Zahn 1969;Perrucci 1980).…”