Human resource practices accompanying industry 4.0 in European manufacturing industry

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yennef Vereycken ◽  
Monique Ramioul ◽  
Sam Desiere ◽  
Michiel Bal
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Employee Involvement ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Skill Development ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Job Complexity ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hr Practices

PurposeRecent research has shown that the implementation of Industry 4.0 requires companies to (re)adjust their human resource (HR) policies. This article focuses on the relationship between Industry 4.0 and three HR practices: i.e. employee involvement, job design and skill development.Design/methodology/approachWe use data of the European Company Survey (ECS) (2019). This nationally representative survey in the EU28 gathers data on workplace practices among managers from establishments employing at least 10 employees. We focus on 5,609 establishments in the manufacturing sector.FindingsFirstly, employee involvement shows a strong positive correlation with Industry 4.0, irrespective of the digital technology used, country or firm size. Secondly, weak but significant correlations are found with increasing job complexity and skill development.Research limitations/implicationsResearch should engage in fine-grained analyses of the alignment between particular digital technologies and their respective HR practices.Practical implicationsOur results stress the importance of involving employees during the implementation of Industry 4.0.Originality/valueDespite frequent acknowledgement across Industry 4.0 roadmaps and maturity models, the predictions for HR practices are empirically incomplete and theoretically inconclusive.

Modelling the enablers of industry 4.0 in the Indian manufacturing industry

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Vineet Jain ◽  
Puneeta Ajmera
Keyword(s):  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Skills Training ◽  
Proper Understanding ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Modelling Methodology ◽  
Indian Manufacturing Sector ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Smart Factories

PurposeThe vision of Industry 4.0 concept is to create smart factories that will change the current processes of production and manufacturing system using smart machines to produce smart and intelligent products. The main aim of this research is to explore the enablers with regard to Industry 4.0 application in manufacturing industry in India as the available literature shows that manufacturing sector is still doubtful about the implementation of Industry 4.0.Design/methodology/approachSeventeen enablers that can affect the adoption of Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing industry in India have been explored through an extensive review of available literature and viewpoints of industry and academic experts. Total Interpretive Structural Modelling methodology (TISM) has been used to evaluate the interrelationships among these factors. A TISM model has been developed to extract the key enablers influencing Industry 4.0 adoption.FindingsThe result shows that Internet facility from government at reduced price, financial support and continued specialized skills training are the major enablers as they have strong driving power.Practical implicationsProper understanding of these enablers will help the managers and policymakers to explore the impact of each enabler on other enablers as well as the degree of relationships among them and to take concrete steps so that Industry 4.0 can be implemented successfully in the manufacturing sector in India.Originality/valueThis study is pioneer in exploring the enablers Industry 4.0 which is the most advanced concept that has the capability to change the future of Indian manufacturing sector if implemented judiciously and cautiously.

Mergers in Indian public sector banks: can human resource practices ensure effective implementation of change?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richa Singh ◽  
Geetika Goel ◽  
Piyali Ghosh ◽  
Saitab Sinha
Keyword(s):  
Public Sector ◽  
Human Resource ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Change Implementation ◽  
Empirical Examination ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Public Sector Banks ◽  
Hr Practices ◽  
Effective Change

PurposeThis study examines the link of effective change implementation (CIE) with select human resource (HR) practices and employees' resistance to change (RTC) amidst ongoing mergers in Indian public sector banks (PSBs). It also intends to highlight the role of RTC as a mediator in this mechanism.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a structured questionnaire administered through a survey of employees of select PSBs that have undergone mergers. The hypothesized relationships were tested on 220 responses with structural equation modelling.FindingsTraining and communication of change as HR practices were found to have significant effects in implementing change. RTC fully mediated the relationship of training and CIE, and partially mediated the association of communication and CIE. Communication had a stronger influence on RTC than training. This finding upholds the importance of communication but also implies that training can reinforce effective communication of change and may not affect the implementation if not directed towards handling resistance.Practical implicationsThe significance of communication as a finding supports the theory of planned behaviour. The authors’ results also align with the social exchange theory and can be extended to the job demands-resources model. PSBs may plan for phase-wise training initiatives starting from the announcement till the end of a merger. PSBs also need to effectively communicate all relevant HR issues to employees, thus being transparent and fair. Both online and offline modes of communication can be explored. Overall, the senior management has to imbibe the handholding of employees in the short term and a sense of empathy in the longer term.Originality/valueResearch on HR in Indian banking mergers seems to take a back seat vis-à-vis strategic issues and financial performance. There also is a limited empirical examination of the role of HR practices in effective change implementation. This paper addresses both these issues by proposing a conceptual model and empirically validating it amidst the merger of PSBs. The authors also highlight how training and communication are effective in handling resistance to change.

Implementation of lean in IT SME company: an Italian case

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Torri ◽  
Kaustav Kundu ◽  
Stefano Frecassetti ◽  
Matteo Rossini
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Service Sector ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Single Case ◽  
Value Added ◽  
Lean Implementation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Italian Case ◽  
Lean Practices

Purpose In spite of huge advancement of Lean in the manufacturing sector, its advantage in the service sector is not fully investigated. The purpose of this paper is to cover this gap in particular for the information technology (IT) sector through the implementation of the Lean philosophy in a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME), operating in the IT sector. Design/methodology/approach A case study is conducted and following the A3 model, Lean is deployed in the case company. Data were collected through on-site interviews, waste sources were identified and then countermeasures for their reduction were proposed and adopted. Findings This study reveals that the implementation of the Lean practices in an SME operating in the IT sector offers good operative and financial results, thanks to the higher productivity obtained through the reduction of non-value-added activities. Research limitations/implications This paper reports a single case study, not enough to generalize the results. Moreover, more Lean tools and practices should be tested in IT companies to assess their effectiveness. Practical implications This paper increments the knowledge base for the application of Lean and A3 model outside the manufacturing industry. This paper should assist practitioners and consultants who have the desire to understand a better way of Lean implementation in fast-growing IT industry and in SME. Originality/value Research on Lean implementation in an SME company and in IT sector is scarce. This study aims to assess the efficiency of the adoption of Lean practices following the A3 model. The results could be highly valuable for similar companies (dimension or sector), especially those that are facing transition situations in terms of size and at the same time want to improve their operations performance, efficiency and avoid waste.

Sustainability assessment in the manufacturing industry: a review of recent studies

2018 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 3162-3179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shamraiz Ahmad ◽  
Kuan Yew Wong
Keyword(s):  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Sustainability Assessment ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Social Indicators ◽  
Sustainable Manufacturing ◽  
Manufacturing Industries ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Status ◽  
Different Levels

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review and analyze the recent sustainability assessment studies in the manufacturing industry from the triple-bottom-line (TBL) perspective. This paper aims to depict the status quo of practical sustainability assessment, summarize the different levels and boundaries of evaluation, and highlight the difficulties and further improvements needed to make the assessment more effective in the manufacturing industry. Design/methodology/approach Four keywords, namely, sustainability assessment, sustainable manufacturing, TBL and green production, were used to explore and find the relevant articles. First, this paper systematically reviewed the studies and analyzed the different levels and boundaries of sustainability assessment. Following this, the reviewed studies were critically discussed along with their merits and shortcomings. Findings The review showed that most of the sustainability assessment studies were conducted on product, company and process levels in the manufacturing industry. Nevertheless, there is still a need to focus more on plant and process level assessments to achieve the TBL objectives. Environmental assessment is comparatively matured in manufacturing industries. However, from the economic and social viewpoints, only cost analysis and workers’ safety, respectively, were considered in most of the studies. The economic and social indicators need to be more inclusive and should be validated and standardized for manufacturing industries. Originality/value Unlike previous sustainability assessment reviews in manufacturing industries which were mostly based on life cycle assessment, this paper has included environmental, social and economic aspects in one comprehensive review and focused on recent studies published from 2010 to 2017. This paper has explored the recent sustainability assessment trends and provided insights into the development of sustainability assessment in the manufacturing sector.

The skill needs of the manufacturing industry: can higher education keep up?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Oran Doherty ◽  
Simon Stephens
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Manufacturing Sector ◽  
Rapid Development ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Manufacturing Companies ◽  
Senior Managers ◽  
Experiential Training ◽  
Content Type

PurposeThis paper explores the implications for higher education of the rapid development in technology used by the manufacturing sector. Higher education programmes change or new courses are introduced in attempts to match labour market demands. However, the pace of change in the manufacturing industry challenges the authors to reconceive how programmes and modules can and should be designed and delivered.Design/methodology/approachThis study is based on interviews with 26 senior management representatives from manufacturing companies in Ireland. The 26 senior managers and their companies represent the wide diversity of Ireland's manufacturing sector. All the interviews were face to face, complimented by a short questionnaire. Follow-up interviews focussed on the emergent findings were carried out to aid the writing of recommendations for the best practice in programme design and delivery.FindingsWhat emerges from this study is that the manufacturing industry needs skills at three distinct levels. The authors define and classify the skill requirements at entry, competent and expert level. The authors place an emphasis on upskilling as an aid to movement between the three levels. In addition, and significantly, the desired time frame for delivery of these skills and/or upskilling is very short.Originality/valueAccelerated reskilling programmes with faster, shorter bursts of work-based learning (WBL) and experiential training are required. With a growing demand for those at competent and expert level, it is necessary to promote WBL to facilitate the upskilling of those employed in manufacturing roles, particularly in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Perceived organizational injustice and counterproductive work behaviours: mediated by organizational identification, moderated by discretionary human resource practices

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk De Clercq ◽  
Yasir Mansoor Kundi ◽  
Shakir Sardar ◽  
Subhan Shahid
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Organizational Identification ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Mediating Role ◽  
Hr Practices ◽  
Time Lagged ◽  
Counterproductive Work Behaviours ◽  
Counterproductive Work Behaviour ◽  
Organizational Injustice

PurposeThis research unpacks the relationship between employees' perceptions of organizational injustice and their counterproductive work behaviour, by detailing a mediating role of organizational identification and a moderating role of discretionary human resource (HR) practices.Design/methodology/approachThe hypotheses were tested with a sample of employees in Pakistan, collected over three, time-lagged waves.FindingsAn important reason that beliefs about unfair organizational treatment lead to enhanced counterproductive work behaviour is that employees identify less strongly with their employing organization. This mediating role of organizational identification is less salient, however, to the extent that employees can draw from high-quality, discretionary HR practices that promote their professional development and growth.Practical implicationsFor management practitioners, this study pinpoints a key mechanism – the extent to which employees personally identify with their employer – by which beliefs about organizational favouritism can escalate into purposeful efforts to inflict harm on the organization and its members. It also reveals how this risk can be subdued by discretionary practices that actively support employees' careers.Originality/valueThis study adds to previous research by detailing why and when employees' frustrations about favouritism-based organizational decision making may backfire and elicit deviant responses that likely compromise their own organizational standing.

The future of manufacturing industry: a strategic roadmap toward Industry 4.0

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 910-936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Morteza Ghobakhloo
Keyword(s):  
Language Processing ◽  
Industry 4.0 ◽  
Manufacturing Industry ◽  
Core Competencies ◽  
Building Blocks ◽  
Design Principles ◽  
Ongoing Research ◽  
Holistic View ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Technology Trends

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to conduct a state-of-the-art review of the ongoing research on the Industry 4.0 phenomenon, highlight its key design principles and technology trends, identify its architectural design and offer a strategic roadmap that can serve manufacturers as a simple guide for the process of Industry 4.0 transition. Design/methodology/approach The study performs a systematic and content-centric review of literature based on a six-stage approach to identify key design principles and technology trends of Industry 4.0. The study further benefits from a comprehensive content analysis of the 178 documents identified, both manually and via IBM Watson’s natural language processing for advanced text analysis. Findings Industry 4.0 is an integrative system of value creation that is comprised of 12 design principles and 14 technology trends. Industry 4.0 is no longer a hype and manufacturers need to get on board sooner rather than later. Research limitations/implications The strategic roadmap presented in this study can serve academicians and practitioners as a stepping stone for development of a detailed strategic roadmap for successful transition from traditional manufacturing into the Industry 4.0. However, there is no one-size-fits-all strategy that suits all businesses or industries, meaning that the Industry 4.0 roadmap for each company is idiosyncratic, and should be devised based on company’s core competencies, motivations, capabilities, intent, goals, priorities and budgets. Practical implications The first step for transitioning into the Industry 4.0 is the development of a comprehensive strategic roadmap that carefully identifies and plans every single step a manufacturing company needs to take, as well as the timeline, and the costs and benefits associated with each step. The strategic roadmap presented in this study can offer as a holistic view of common steps that manufacturers need to undertake in their transition toward the Industry 4.0. Originality/value The study is among the first to identify, cluster and describe design principles and technology trends that are building blocks of the Industry 4.0. The strategic roadmap for Industry 4.0 transition presented in this study is expected to assist contemporary manufacturers to understand what implementing the Industry 4.0 really requires of them and what challenges they might face during the transition process.

Human resource practices and their association with perceived organizational support

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-19
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Direct Effect ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Private Hospital ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hr Practices ◽  
Questionnaire Surveys ◽  
Original Approach

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the association of specific HR practices, namely TD, CB and WP (policies and practice) and POS and also the mediating effect of IJ between HR practices and POS. Design/methodology/approach Data was gathered from responses to questionnaire surveys and interviews given to 150 nurses working in a private hospital in Penang, Malaysia. Findings The results show that there is no direct effect of CB or TD on POS, WP is associated with POS and IJ does positively mediate in all three HR practices – CB, TD and WP. Originality/value This paper has an original approach by examining specific HR practices in association with IJ and POS.

Human resource managers as liaisons between firms and labour

2019 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael O’Donnell ◽  
Sue Williamson ◽  
Arosha Adikaram ◽  
Meraiah Foley
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Regulatory Compliance ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Incentive Payment ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hr Practices ◽  
Garment Factories ◽  
Hr Managers

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore how human resource (HR) managers in garment factories in a Sri Lankan export processing zone (EPZ) navigated the tension between their role as stewards of employee welfare and their role to maximise firm productivity in response to time and production pressures imposed by international buyers. Relatively little attention has been paid to the role of HR managers as liaisons between firms and labour. This omission is significant, given the importance of human resource management in the recruitment and retention of labour and the role of HR managers in organisational performance and regulatory compliance. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used based on interviews with 18 HR managers, factory managers and other key informants, and 63 factory workers from 12 firms in the Katunayake EPZ. The interviews and focus groups in English were transcribed and coded into themes arising from the literature and further developed from the transcripts. Initial codes were analysed to identify common themes across the data set. Findings HR managers were acutely aware of the competitive pressures facing the EPZ garment factories. While examples of company welfarism were evident, HR practices such as incentive payment systems and the management of employee absences reinforced a workplace environment of long hours, work intensification and occupational injury. Originality/value This paper goes some way towards filling the gap in our understanding of the roles played by HR managers in garment factories in the Global South, raising theoretical debates regarding the potential for HR managers in developing countries to distance themselves from the negative consequences of HR practices such as individual and team reward systems.

Ten questions that make a difference for HR leadership

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 20-22 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clinton Longenecker ◽  
Laurence S Fink
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Social Implications ◽  
Valuable Insight ◽  
Business Partnerships ◽  
Comprehensive Understanding ◽  
Bottom Line ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Hr Practices ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Presents the distilled wisdom of two human-resource (HR) award facilitators. Design/methodology/approach – Takes in the form of ten questions that make a difference for HR leadership. Findings – Asks: Are you trusted by the members of your organization? Do you possess a real and comprehensive understanding of how your business makes money? Do you keep yourself up to speed on the legal and compliance issues that are most important to your organization? Do you think strategically and execute operationally? Are you measuring and monitoring the most meaningful metrics that measure mission-driven performance? Are you working hard to create business partnerships with your stakeholders that increase the likelihood of success? Are you taking steps to help all managers in your organization to operate like great HR leaders? Are you using your talents and influence to build teams and solve organizational problems? Do you seek out and apply innovative HR practices that can truly affect your organization’s bottom-line performance? Do you ensure that people have the information they need to perform in an optimal fashion? Practical implications – Urges HR specialists to review, reflect on and assess their response to each of the questions. Social implications – Suggests that each question identifies key behaviors and activities that can become a target for improvement. Originality/value – Provides valuable insight rarely available to HR specialists.

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