Automation in retail trade: An exploration into the work experiences of retail sales clerks

This thesis is an investigation of the work experiences of retail sales clerks who have been exposed to technological innovations. A retail store was chosen as a research site primarily because jobs in this industry are female dominated, non-unionized, non-standard and characterized by lower skill, status and pay. Sixteen sales clerks and two assistant managers from the Metropolitan Toronto area participated in this exploratory study. The analysis is based on data collected through self-administered questionnaires and structured interviews.;The findings indicate that the affects of technology on workers are dependent upon the choices and negotiations made together by managers and workers. The ways in which technologies are introduced and who should be involved, the extent of involvement, as well as the nature of skill requirements, the content of jobs, and training are greatly affected by the strategic choices made by all organizational participants. However, women workers who are in lower skill, status and paying jobs are provided with little recourse to fully negotiate and influence the process of technological introductions. Women workers are also primarily in non-standard positions that are not unionized which compounds their lack of influence.