Something to Hang Your Coat On:
Learning in a Food Manufacturing Company

CHRIS HOLLAND

THIS PAPER DISCUSSES RELATIONSHIPS of power at a manufacturing workplace, and how these impact on literacy provision. Drawing from current theories in the New Literacy Studies (see for instance, Gee, 1996; Street 1984, 1993, 2001) the paper examines transitions from a traditional to a “high performance” culture, particularly in regard to training initiatives. It explores workers’ literacy practices associated with company high performance initiatives, health and safety and training, and what this means for literacy practitioners.

The Food Manufacturing Company

Originally family owned, this company was taken over by a consortium in 1995, and has since made significant attempts to build a culture of “shared goals.” However, a culture of surveillance and mistrust pervades. There is also evidence of deep seated resistance, not so much to high performance goals, but to the perceived “doublespeak” of management in terms of these issues. Gee (1996) and others (Gowen, 1992; Lankshear, 1997; Hull, 1997) have written extensively about implications for workers of the so-called “quality revolution” promoted by management gurus (Peters, 1992, 1994). The workers in this company voice scepticism about “improvements.” They display a genuine interest in quality, particularly through the proper adoption of health and safety procedures, and training.

Investing in People

This company’s primary customers are multinational companies in the UK and Europe. One of the ways a company can indicate to local and international customers that it can produce high quality goods is to achieve the Investors in People award. Companies receive this award when they can show that they have invested in the training of all sectors of the workforce, that people learn and develop “effectively,” and that learning is linked to external qualifications “where appropriate.” Most companies in the consortium have already gained the award.

Learning the Ropes

There are a number of training initiatives that shop floor level workers must undertake in this company. The first is a 3-hour induction for job applicants who may or may not be accepted as employees. The stated aim of the induction is to “provide new starters … with a range of essential information regarding the Company’s rules and regulations.” The induction takes around three hours, and includes a short talk by a union representative in the company, a video (2 hours, 50 minutes) with breaks to answer three written questionnaires checking applicants’ understanding of the video material, and a short factory tour.