As part of a 1950s study dealing with various phases of the impact of mass production on human behaviour, this volume, originally published in 1956 and now a classic of its time examines the technological environment and the foreman within management, from the foreman's point of view. The book presents case-history material, but behind this presentation and controlling it are broad concepts, one of the most important of which is that of a technological work environment. The book relates its study of a segment in American industry to the borader challenges of human relations to work in the modern world.

The foreman is usually regarded as a filter in a chain of command in industrial organizations. In this book, however, the author suggests that this view is not adequate, and he proposes instead a model of analysis which employs a systems perspective. The role of the foreman is seen in terms of the interaction of three sub-systems representing the organization, the group and the individual. The book is based on the work of researchers from many disciplines and employs a sociological framework to account for the peculiar strains, conflict and ambiguities associated with the foreman’s role.