HENRY FORD - A GREAT INNOVATOR
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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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TFord 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.
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