The paper outlines the development prospects of low-skill industrial work. The thesis is that this work type is not a negligible factor in advanced societies. First, the paper will establish the claimthat a stable basis of low-skill industrial work exists, despite the erosion of this model in the last decades. Secondly, the industrial strongholds of low-skill work will be identified. Thirdly, it will be proven that this type of 'simple' industrial labor is not generic for precarious work. Moreover, work-organizational paradigms of low-skill work between Taylorist and non-Taylorist patterns of work will be developed. The paper is based on the first result of an ongoing project, funded by

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In addition to changing ways of doing business and managing work, the new economy has affected the way that (generally) highly qualified employees participate in company decision-making processes. Th e research project entitled "Changing forms of labor regulation?" focused on the relationship between individual and collective forms of representation, as well as between regulation at the state, collective bargaining and company levels. It also investigated the possibility of applying new economy modes of representation in more traditional lines of business. Building on established industrial relations theory, this article will first propose three extensions to this conceptual framework and argue that a wider concept of labor regulation is needed. Th is will be demonstrated using empirical research conducted in new media companies. Economic developments in recent years and a growth in personnel in the companies studied point towards a professionalization of company structures which will have a lasting effect on forms of participation. In the companies studied, it is evident that mixed forms of labor regulation have evolved out of the traditional ideal types of representation (self-representation, alternative forms and works councils). In * Th is study is sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). We would like to thank the reviewers for their helpful comments, and Jennifer Elrick and Florian Jabulani Lauer for their translation and editorial work. this context, two tendencies can be identified. First, as far as company structures are concerned, and regarding the rise of collective forms of representation in general, the new forms of regulation seem to be conforming to patterns found in old economy companies. Second, as far as the constellation of individual and/or collective forms of regulation is concerned, the new forms seem to be diverging from those found in the old economy. Trajectory, contingency and innovation effects all influence the specific patterns of labor regulation in the new media companies.

Der Beitrag thematisiert die Strukturen und Entwicklungsdynamiken industrieller Einfacharbeit und vertritt entgegen anderslautender Diagnosen die These, dass diese kein Auslaufmodell in der Wissensgesellschaft ist. Auf der Basis empirischer Befunde wird gezeigt, dass von einem stabilen Sockel der Einfacharbeit auszugehen ist und zahlreiche Kernzonen dafür in der Industrie identifiziert werden können. Das Beispiel der Ernährungsindustrie verdeutlicht, dass einfache, gering qualifizierte Tätigkeiten ein zentrales Moment in der Produktion und Verpackung von Lebensmitteln sind. Zwar sind die Arbeitsanforderungen auf einem niedrigen Niveau, dennoch ergeben sich verschiedene arbeitsorganisatorische Muster von mehr oder weniger angereicherter Einfacharbeit.

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