scholarly journals The viability of the Scandinavian work-life model and the impact of lean production: The case of Scania

2020 ◽  
pp. 0143831X2093913
Author(s):  
Margareta Oudhuis ◽  
Stefan Tengblad
Keyword(s):  
Production System ◽  
Lean Production ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Work Organization ◽  
Organization Design ◽  
Work Life ◽  
New Model ◽  
Systems Model ◽  
Stakeholder Model ◽  
The Impact

From the 1970s through the 1990s, Scandinavian work-life, especially in Sweden, was an international role model for work organization and industrial relations. Practices such as job enrichment, teamwork in semi-autonomous groups, multi-skilling, and long work cycles were commonplace. This article investigates if and how such practices, the Socio-Technical Systems model (STS), are still followed in Sweden after the arrival of lean production. The study was conducted at Scania, a Swedish heavy truck and bus manufacturer well-known for its innovative work organization and its previous use of a socio-technical work design. The study finds that as this production and management model has been substantially marginalized, a new model has emerged. The new model, inspired by the Toyota Production System and lean, is characterized by a line organization design, standardized work processes, daily control, all shorter cycle-times, permanent team leader positions, position ownership, and continuous improvement with rotation possibilities. This new model, Scania Production System (SPS), has enjoyed considerable success. Yet challenges remain with respect to employee commitment to work and their boredom with highly-paced, repetitive work, leading to an advocacy for more of a hybrid model between the SPS and the STS models. Although the study is performed in only one company it is an exemplar company in Sweden which has been highly influential also beyond the transportation industry. The article also expands the scientific knowledge of production systems by the help of a novel stakeholder model. The article’s contribution is its demonstration of current work organization practices and to what extent these represent continuity or new trajectories. Lean production has had a vigouous reception in Scania but there are problematic features that are distinct from a stakeholder model perspective.

scholarly journals Decentralized Bargaining in a Globalizing Industry

2006 ◽  
Vol 61 (1) ◽  
pp. 70-92 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell D. Lansbury ◽  
Chris F. Wright ◽  
Marian Baird
Keyword(s):  
Lean Production ◽  
Work Organization ◽  
Employment Relations ◽  
Skill Formation ◽  
Global Trends ◽  
Automotive Assembly ◽  
Enterprise Governance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Decentralized Bargaining

This paper examines the impact of enterprise bargaining on employment relations practices in the Australia automotive assembly sector in the context of the globalization of the industry. While there has been convergence towards lean production principles among the four auto assemblers, arising from global trends, there has also been divergence resulting from enterprise bargaining, among other variables. Strong similarities are apparent between the companies in areas such as work organization, skill formation and enterprise governance, whereas there are differences in remuneration and staffing practices. However, it remains to be seen whether decentralized bargaining will continue to yield greater differentiation in employment relations among the automotive manufacturers in an increasingly globalized industry.

scholarly journals Fiat Auto: Industrial Relations Lost in Globalisation

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 672-682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paolo Caputo ◽  
Antonino Campenni ◽  
Elisabetta Della Corte
Keyword(s):  
Global Economy ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Industrial Relations ◽  
Work Organization ◽  
The Other ◽  
Car Industry ◽  
Union Activists ◽  
The One ◽  
The Right ◽  
The Impact

In the actual context of globalization, carmakers face a highly competitive market. The pace of technological innovation, the increase in international competition, the saturation of markets and the shortening of product lifespan are but some of the factors requiring a new organization of production. In order to face these radical changes, carmakers are implementing new strategies, not only by embracing the concept of globalization, but also by promoting changes in labour management practices, work organization and industrial relations. The aim of this paper is to analyze the impact of Fiat’s new managerial strategies in response to increased global competition on the situation of the industrial relations, on the role of the Unions and on the condition of workers. These strategies include an intensification of work, shift and wage flexibility, plus a severe limitations of workers’ rights (including the right to strike). On the one hand, such a strategy was presented and justified to the workers and the public as an objective necessity of global economy, and was even submitted to a referendum; on the other, the process was conducted unilaterally, under the recurring threat of transferring production abroad if the workers and their Unions refused to accept the new method. This brought to a split of the Unions and dialogue was maintained only with collaborative organisations, causing the discrimination of the other Unions and a situation of great dissatisfaction amongst all the workers. Through the words of workers and Union activists, the research showed evidence of the failure of claims that new management strategy can ensure both productivity and a new form of workplace democracy in the post-fordist factory. Despite new labour-saving technologies, lean production organisation and the adoption of new metric systems (such as Ergo-UAS), car industry would need, more than in the past, the involvement and active participation of Unions and workers. On the contrary, the paper points out how Fiat’s actual form of production organization generates new tensions and increases employee’s discontent, likely to ignite industrial conflict.

scholarly journals Emberierőforrás-menedzsment gyakorlatokkal kapcsolatos kutatások a lean termelés irodalmában (Researches on human resource management practices of lean production literature)

2013 ◽  
pp. 23-36
Author(s):  
Dávid Losonci
Keyword(s):  
Human Resource ◽  
Performance Indicators ◽  
High Performance ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Lean Production ◽  
Work Organization ◽  
Operational Performance ◽  
Human Resource Management Practices ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Organizational Logic

A lean termelési rendszer szociotechnikai megközelítése szerint a lean technikai elemei (technikai alrendszer) a kimagasló teljesítményt nyújtó munkaerő-szervezési rendszer (HPWS) gyakorlataival (szocio alrendszer) kapcsolódnak össze. A tanulmány ezt a megközelítést MacDuffie (1995) szervezetilogika-koncepciója alapján mutatja be. A lean termelési rendszer munkaerő-szervezési rendszerével kapcsolatosan négy témakört tekint át: (1) a lean termelési rendszer munkaerő-szervezési rendszerekre gyakorolt hatását, (2) a HPWSgyakorlatok használatát és (3) teljesítményhatását, végül a (4) munkásokra gyakorolt hatásokat. A feldolgozott koncepcionális és empirikus munkákban valamennyi pontban számos ellentmondás fedezhető fel. _____ According to the socio-technical view of lean production lean system is built on both technical and human resource practices (subsystems). The concept of organizational logic developed by MacDuffie (1995) describes how lean techniques and high performance working systems practices mutually suppose each other in lean environment. This study reviews four fields of human issues in relation to lean production: (1) the impact of lean system on work organization; (2) the use HPWS practices and (3) their impact on operational performance indicators in lean producers; (4) the impact of lean production on workers. The review of empirical and conceptual studies points out that there are many contradictions regarding the above points.

scholarly journals Lean Production Systems 4.0: The Impact of the Digital Transformation on Production System Levels

Procedia CIRP ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 104 ◽  
pp. 259-264
Author(s):  
Simon Schumacher ◽  
Felix Aljoscha Schmid ◽  
Andreas Bildstein ◽  
Thomas Bauernhansl
Keyword(s):  
Production System ◽  
Production Systems ◽  
Lean Production ◽  
Digital Transformation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Lean Production Systems

A Study On Impact Of Work Life Related Factors On Employee Engagement In Health Care Sector Workers In Dindigul District.

2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (7) ◽  
pp. 20-26
Author(s):  
S. JAYARAMAN ◽  
R. Sindhya ◽  
P. Vijiyalakshmi
Keyword(s):  
Health Care ◽  
Path Analysis ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Health Care Workers ◽  
Health Care Sector ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Care Workers ◽  
The Impact

this research aims to find out the intensity of Employee Engagement of the health care sector workers and the relationship between the Work life factors and Employee Engagement of Health care sector workers in Dindigul District. Primary data were used in this research, were collected from 298 Health care workers from Dindigul District. Questionnaire was the major tool used to gather the primary data from the selected sample respondents. For this purpose, a well structured questionnaire was constructed with the help of professionals and the practiced employees of various health care units in Dindigul District. The health care employees were chosen by simple random sampling method. The investigative measures of regression Path analysis, and simple percentage analysis were utilized to find the impact of work life related factors with the Employee Engagement. The maximum Health care workers were generally satisfied with their jobs. The analytical procedure of path analysis multiple regressions was utilized to determine the predicting strength among Work life factors and the employee engagement. This study provides an another view about the importance of Work life factors and Employee engagement for organizational effectiveness and performance .

Antecedents And Outcomes Of Qwl Among Employees In Banks

2019 ◽  
Vol 118 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Geethanjali N ◽  
Parveen Roja M ◽  
Lavanya D
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Climate ◽  
Job Stress ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Working Environment ◽  
Quality Of Work Life ◽  
Quality Of Work ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Service Productivity ◽  
The Impact

Quality of work life is the major factor to be considered in working environment of any organization. The performance of employees and the organization lies on the ability of the employees based on working environment. The QWL leads to better working environment which improves the performance of organization. The present study has made an attempt to find the level of factors causing QWL and the impact of outcome of QWL in banks. Since the profile of the banks may be associated with the level of outcomes of QWL, the present study has made an attempt to examine it with the help of one way analysis of variance and t-test. The included outcomes of QWL are job satisfaction, job stress, organizational climate, organizational commitment, employees retention behaviour, service quality employees and service productivity of employees. The highly associated determinants of QWL and the significant difference among the PUSBs and PRSBs have been noticed. The significantly associating important profiles of the banks regarding the existence of outcome of QWL are identified.

scholarly journals Green Work-Life Balance and Greenwashing the Construct of Work-Life Balance: Myth and Reality

Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (15) ◽  
pp. 4556
Author(s):  
Anuradha Iddagoda ◽  
Eglantina Hysa ◽  
Helena Bulińska-Stangrecka ◽  
Otilia Manta
Keyword(s):  
Job Performance ◽  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Work Life Balance ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Life Balance ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Green Human Resource Management ◽  
The Impact

Some of the frequently used buzz words in the corporate sector include green leadership, green human resource management, green employee engagement and green work-life balance. The intention of this article is to identify and examine the logical reasons that govern “green work-life balance” or, in simple terms, “greenwashing” work-life balance. The paper also aims at providing a comprehensive conceptualization of work-life balance, while thoroughly examining the components of measuring the construct. Based on a cross-sectional study in the banking industry with a sample of 170 managerial employees, this study analyzes the impact of work-life balance on employee job performance mediated by employee engagement. Results support the assumed relationship between work-life balance and employee job performance embedded in employee engagement. The theoretical contribution of this study concerns the application of role behavior theory to describe the mechanisms shaping the relationship between work-life balance and job performance through employee engagement. The practical implications of the paper include recommendations for improving job performance by enhancing the work-life balance and strengthening employee engagement.

scholarly journals Do Work–Life Measures Really Matter? The Impact of Flexible Working Hours and Home-Based Teleworking in Preventing Voluntary Employee Exits

2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Charlotte K. Marx ◽  
Mareike Reimann ◽  
Martin Diewald
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Culture ◽  
Working Hours ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
Lower Probability ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Flexible Working Hours ◽  
Flexible Working ◽  
Flexibility Measures ◽  
The Impact

Numerous studies have demonstrated the importance of work–life measures, which are designed to contribute to job quality and help reconcile employees’ work and personal lives. In our study, we asked whether such measures can also work as inducements to prevent employees from voluntarily leaving a firm. We considered flexible working hours and home-based teleworking as flexibility measures that are potentially attractive to all employees. To address the possible bias caused by sketchy implementation and their actual selective use, we chose to examine employees’ perceptions of the offer of these measures. We investigated the moderation of the effect by organizational culture and supervisor and coworker support. We controlled for several indicators of job quality, such as job satisfaction and perceived fairness, to isolate specific ways in which work–life measures contributed to voluntary employee exit, and checked for a selective attractiveness of work–life measures to parents and women as the main caregivers. Using a three-wave panel employer–employee survey, we estimated multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression models for 5452 employees at 127 large German establishments. Our results confirmed that both types of flexibility measures were associated with a lower probability of voluntarily exit. This applied more to men than to women, and the probability was reduced by a demanding organizational culture. Both measures seemed not to be specifically designed to accommodate main caregivers but were attractive to the whole workforce.

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