Beyond Massar by Dr John Campbell

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The switch from the scientific approach to the HRM apprroach which believes that contented cows give more milk, so satisfied workers will give more work(daft 43).This was firstly taken up by taken up by Simon Taylor a manager, this did not mean that Taylor loved his enslaved people but was based on enconomical factors and was done to increase production which was made lucid,and well developed in the book. He did not as the book imply have change in heart, heard amazing grace or was spoken to by God about his sinful ways.

Simon Taylor believed that negros was wortless Rascals (51) who knew no civalisation like every other white manager.However he was intelligent man who got a dose of reality and realized that if the enslaved people continuously rebels, or if they were killed or injured there would be a cut in production/profits .Letters presented in the book which Taylor wrote to his head Chaloner Arccedekne proves this . In this, he states that by saving the negroes we shall intinsically raise the value of the capital(51). He took this so seriously that he dismissed any submanager found guilty of flogging the estate's enslaved people.

In 1789 he dissmissed his very productive overseer even though he was “a very active stirring man” because he had taken up a new practise of knocking down the negros with a stick, hedge rail or what comes to hand (18). In correspondence he advised that punishment be done in the work house,not on the estate, and that flogging not be done in anger (52). Taylor was no plantation angel, he believed that the enslaved were an expensive investment that needed to be used efficently. This view influenced taylor's management style.Taylor saw that the enslaved actually had the power to make or break plantation operations, this caused for collaboration between the planter and the enslaved person .

It was made clear to managers in the eighteenth century that production could not be forced, and that voluntary coooperation was needed from the enslaved. Taylor had a strategy, to achieve this, he sought to appease the enslaved so that they would work well in return. He selected a few workers and rewarded them in an attempt to encourage a higher work ethic and to attempt to reduce the the high incidence of revolts on the plantations.

To date in 1690 a major revolt arose on the sutton estate in the parish of Clarendon, and the success of these revolts encouraged further revolts on Jamaican plantations(74). It was clear to them that they were out numbered an so they thought that if they had black informants they will be secure. This marked the development of the elite enslaved, those selected were “trusted” by the white planters and were intended to be sub managers and assist the white managers in every phase of the sugar production process.

The first thing one may ask is, why would the enslaved help those people? This introduces the topic of the plantation being a “center of power”.When approaching this topic the writing style is a bit complex , and requires readers full, undivided attention. However with some reflextion on the book one can surely identify the difference in the plantation being a “center of power” rather than a “power center”.

The appointed elite enslaved were given titles such as elite slaves slave drivers, confidential slaves,skilled slaves, head slaves. They were placed in positions that allowed them to receive rewards that the other slaves could not obtain,they interacted with the white managers and could sway things in their favour or in the enslaved favor.It can then be understood why an enslave may want be an elite, who would not want better treatment even at the expense of others in a desperate situation such a s slavery.

“Colonial records attest to the many times that denunciation made by some of these elite enslaved people provided key information for thwarting revolts and other work disruptions on the estate. In quick time the whole plot to revolt was exposed and six of the key conspirators were burned alive while eleven others were beheaded and dragged through the streets.”(76)

Elevation of the slaves were not wholly frowned upon by the enslaved people as they saw the bigger picture.the elite enslaved had a strategic plan, by being affiliated with the planter class they could learn the ins and outs of the system.Taken for example while records shows that the enslaved were working for managements best interests many of them had different motives. The book speaks of the analysis on Robert Gellately's, one which is incisively applicable and relevant.His application of german “confidential informers in nazi germany was compared to the enlite enslaved.

The Jewish informs saturated the Gestapo with helpful snippets of information that led to arrest but, intentionally or not because of the abundance of rumors and misinformation involved, they also created a exaggerated climate of fear(86).With this information overload the managers focusing on police work and security may ignore other oppresing programmes.Also in relation rebellions the elite managers were most dissapointed when they found that the main drivers behind the Christmas rebellion was head and confidential slaves. Clearly it can be seen that the e