Zwischen Kooperation und Konflikt - transnationale Wissensarbeit in einem transnationalen Unternehmen der Luftfahrtindustrie : Organisationsmuster, Arbeitsbedingungen und Kooperationsformen deutscher und britischer Flugzeugingenieure unter dem Einfluss lokaler und unternehmensspezifischer Gestaltungsanforderungen

Abstract

This thesis analyses the organisation, the conditions and the success of cooperation of knowledge-intensive work within a transnational company. For this purpose, the work of a team of German and British research and development engineers in a European aircraft company was investigated. Based on a discussion about the characteristics of communication- and knowledge-intensive work and the organisation of cross-border work, this study assumes that conflicting organisational requirements have to be integrated within transnational knowledge work. While there is need to integrate the knowledge-intensive activities of a company beyond its borders, transnational work is also determined by national industrial relations' schemes as well as educational systems. Both exert influence on labour organisation in specific ways, and thus generate differences in the work organisation between countries. The interdependency of these conflicting organisational constraints has been analysed in the systems of work organisation and control, the way how competence is used within work and conditions of work for engineers at both national sites. Thus, two national working schemes have been identified, which differ in each of the investigated dimensions. The study also shows that the interaction of these national working models generates specific conflicts for transnational cooporation among German and British engineers. These conflicts are solved by means of organisational strategies based on the characteristics of knowledge-intensive and personal work including aspects of self-control and scope for development of own decision-making within the work. Both national working schemes differ in these strategies.