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The interplay between smart manufacturing technologies and work organization

The interplay between smart manufacturing technologies and work organization The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence on how smart manufacturing (SM) affects work organization at both micro-level – i.e. work design, described in terms of operator job breadth and autonomy, cognitive demand and social interaction – and at macro-level – i.e. organizational structure, described in terms of centralization of decision making and number of hierarchical levels in the plant.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reports on a multiple-case study of 19 companies implementing SM.FindingsResults present four main configurations differing in terms of technological complexity, and micro and macro work organization.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contributes to the academic debate about the interplay between technology and work organization in the context of SM, specifically the authors find that the level of technology complexity relates to different characteristics of micro and macro work organization in the plant.Practical implicationsFindings offer valuable insights for practice, with implications for the design of operator jobs, skills and plant organizational structure, in light of the challenges generated by the implementation of SM technology. Guidelines on how policymakers can foster the implementation of SM technology to enhance social sustainability are proposed.Originality/valueThis study advances a novel focus in studying SM, i.e. work organization implications of this new manufacturing paradigm instead of its mere technological implications. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png International Journal of Operations & Production Management Emerald Publishing

The interplay between smart manufacturing technologies and work organization

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References (64)

Publisher
Emerald Publishing
Copyright
© Emerald Publishing Limited
ISSN
0144-3577
DOI
10.1108/ijopm-01-2019-0093
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to provide evidence on how smart manufacturing (SM) affects work organization at both micro-level – i.e. work design, described in terms of operator job breadth and autonomy, cognitive demand and social interaction – and at macro-level – i.e. organizational structure, described in terms of centralization of decision making and number of hierarchical levels in the plant.Design/methodology/approachThe paper reports on a multiple-case study of 19 companies implementing SM.FindingsResults present four main configurations differing in terms of technological complexity, and micro and macro work organization.Research limitations/implicationsThe paper contributes to the academic debate about the interplay between technology and work organization in the context of SM, specifically the authors find that the level of technology complexity relates to different characteristics of micro and macro work organization in the plant.Practical implicationsFindings offer valuable insights for practice, with implications for the design of operator jobs, skills and plant organizational structure, in light of the challenges generated by the implementation of SM technology. Guidelines on how policymakers can foster the implementation of SM technology to enhance social sustainability are proposed.Originality/valueThis study advances a novel focus in studying SM, i.e. work organization implications of this new manufacturing paradigm instead of its mere technological implications.

Journal

International Journal of Operations & Production Management – Emerald Publishing

Published: Nov 20, 2019

Keywords: Manufacturing technology; Organizational structure; Plant design

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