Question

Are unions and technological improvements complementary? Why or why not?

Short answer

No, unions and technical advancements are not complementary to one another because they are perceived as substitutes for one another.

Step-by-step solution

Concept Introduction

Companies are increasingly looking forward to incorporating technology into the workplace because it helps to improve the company's efficiency, raise employee productivity, and motivation, and hence improve the company's overall performance.

Explanation

Unions and technological improvements are not interchangeable; rather, they are substitutes. This means that both are substituted for one another. This can be explained in the following way: If a corporation decides to use manufacturing equipment, it will use capital and decrease its worker force, which includes unions. If a corporation chooses to rely on physical labor rather than equipment, the need for labor-intensive practices such as unions will increase, lessening the need for technological breakthroughs in production. As a result, these two can't be employed together because they're alternatives.

Final answer

As a result, unions and technical improvements are not complementary because one reduces the necessity for the other.