Final answer:
Atos implemented a ban on email communication to increase employee productivity by reducing digital distractions and promoting efficiency. This mirrors historical trends of strict work environment controls, aimed at streamlining tasks and processes within organizations.
Step-by-step explanation:
To address the issue of boosting employee productivity, Atos implemented a policy to ban email communication. The goal behind such bans is to often increase productivity and efficiency within an organization. Historical approaches to improving worker efficiency included methods like strict supervision, timing movements with stopwatches, and enforcing rigorous work ethics that sometimes prohibited talking or even sitting at one’s workstation. Atos's modern take on reducing distraction involved stopping the use of internal emails, aimed at streamlining communication and potentially recapturing hours that would otherwise be spent managing an overflowing inbox. This reflects current trends showing that despite the array of tools available today, companies are looking for ways to reduce digital clutter and enhance focus on tasks at hand.
It's argued that long working hours have historically prevented the working class from personal advancement and enjoying the 'fruits of their labor,' an issue which many companies still grapple with in finding balance. Bureaucracies often highlight the positive aspects such as increased efficiency and productivity, which might be improved by such policies.