HENRY FORD - A GREAT INNOVATOR
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continued from Page2:THE CRITICISM
Some critics thought that Ford was resistant to new ideas. He was described as
a stubborn man with a 'complex personality.' He behaved like a caricature of
the wealthy, influential and barbaric class. He refused to give customers a
choice in the color of their cars, remarking jokingly, "Any customer can have a
car painted any color he wants, so long as it is black."[1] He is said to have
acted on the basis of his prejudices and emotions quite often. He outrightly
refused to even contemplate any changes to his favorite Model T. On one
instance, Ford employees put together an upgraded version of Model T to
surprise Ford. But Ford, far from being impressed, he openly showed his
resentment by kicking the wind-pane and trampling on the roof of the car. A
Ford employee at the time said, "We got the message. As far as he was
concerned, the Model T was God and we were to put away false images."[2]
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Ford sometimes displayed 'startling ignorance' in
relation to world events. His quote "History is more or less bunk" was
widely publicized, and gave people the feeling that he was ignorant of
everything outside his own narrow field. In 1919, The Chicago Tribune
published an editorial titled "Ford Is an Anarchist." This prompted Ford
to file a suit for $1,000,000 in damages. The editorial said he was an "an
ignorant idealist" and an "anarchist enemy of the nation," who was "so
incapable of thought that he cannot see the ignominy of his own
performance." This was largely because of his antagonism to America's
involvement in World War I. Ford was not in favor of labour unions in his
company. He rejected the formation of unions outright. Ford made this very
clear to his employees, saying, "We'll never recognize the United
Automobile Workers Union or any other union."[3] |
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During the 1930s, Ford unleashed a 'reign of terror'
against employees who sympathized with unions. His henchmen assaulted the
United Auto Workers (UAW) in 1937, in what came to be known as the 'Battle of
the Overpass,' for distributing pamphlets in support of unions.In an interview
to The Associated Press in February 1937, Ford insisted that all his workers
should "stay out of unions." He also rejected the signing of automobile code of
the National Recovery Administration (NRA)[4],which laid down that employees
enjoyed the right to organize and strike. In May 1937, the National Labor
Relations Board charged Ford with practicing unfair labor practices. An ex-UAW
President, said, "Old Man Ford was a fascist. Those were the terrible old days.
He fought us every step of the way, but in the end, his opposition generated a
tremendous amount of sympathy for the union."[5] .Some analysts considered
Ford's industrial relations policies paternalistic.[6]
[1]As
quoted in the article, "Henry Ford is Dead at 83 in Dearborn," The Associated
Press, April 8, 1947.
[2] As quoted in the article, "Henry Ford and the Model
T," posted on www.wiley.com.
[3] As quoted in the article, "Henry Ford," posted on
www.rotten.com.
[4] NRA is an administrative bureau, established under the
National Industrial Recovery Act of 1933. It is engaged primarily in formulating
industrial codes.
[5] As quoted in the article, "A Century of Vision: Fords
Built City, Changed the World," by Bill McGraw, Detroit Free Press, March 12,
2003.
[6] A policy or practice of treating or governing people
in a fatherly manner, especially by providing for their needs without giving
them rights or responsibilities.
ADDITIONAL READINGS & REFERENCES
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