Suchergebnisse

Develops a framework for the implementation and adaptation of flexible
manufacturing systems, paying particular attention to the uncertainty
involved in implementation. Discusses the subsystems associated with
technology, management and strategic control, with technology being
split into operations, materials and knowledge and relates latent
uncertainty to the almost inevitable misalignment of the various factors
and comments on the adaptation cycles needed for successful
implementation. Presents three case studies to illustrate the points
made.

Asks how implementation management affects implementation
uncertainty, adaptation cycles and performance. Assesses retrospective
case studies of three Swedish FMS implementation processes. The cases
represent technically similar systems, but with different project
characteristics and degrees of success. Reports the study of timing and
source of latent uncertainty variables, where uncertainties are regarded
as being caused by misalignments in technology, organization, management
and strategy. Also studies the timing and nature of adaptation cycles.

Effective manufacturing management calls for integration between
strategic subsystems. In manufacturing, this means that decisions on
structure and infrastructure must be co‐ordinated and support the
competitive strategy. Traditionally, manufacturing management has, to a
large extent, been reactive in nature, but today′s competitive situation
calls for a more proactive manufacturing posture. In the article, a
model for an integrated proactive manufacturing strategy is presented
and suggested. This article presents empirical data in the form of case
studies and survey analyses in the area of technology implementation.
The survey data show that differences in the length of plan horizons for
manufacturing technology, work organisation and control systems create
significant problems in manufacturing, especially with personnel and
quality issues. The case analyses show that this phenomenon in part can
be explained by a lack of integration between these systems. Integration
at an early stage is therefore concluded to be essential to the
strategic capabilities at factory level. It is suggested that this
integration is important to a proactive manufacturing strategy, and
managerial implications are discussed.

The aim of the case study was to critically compare the descriptions of employees and managers of how the work environment is prioritised in a medium-sized Swedish retailer belonging to an international group. The study is based upon a questionnaire study of employees (n=55), and on interviews with people in leading positions with partial responsibility for the work environment at the company (n=6) as well as with the local safety delegate (n=1). The results show that the driving forces behind the work environment are, according to respondents, finances, legislation, trademarks and the attitudes of the upper management. The on-going work environment management is described differently in terms of its form and content by employees and persons in leading positions.

Conditions in today's working life make new approaches necessary in order to limit negative health effects of working life and to enhance wellbeing and health at work. Despite rather progressive legislation, a century of labour inspections, and the efforts of thousands of occupational health personnel, still around 20% of the Swedish workforce report to have had work-related disorders other than accidents during the last year (1). Even if this "elimination approach" partly has succeeded it´s obvious that it is insufficient or inadequate for a working life where key issues for progress are motivation, cooperation and creativity (2). In order to achieve a sustainable working life, not the least to coop with issues related to the ageing population in the developed countries, it is likely that strategies and actions from different and new angles are needed. Healthy workplace has been defined as an organization that maximizes the integration of worker goals for wellbeing and company objectives for profitability and productivity(3). It is noteworthy that the notion healthy workplace is not a substitute for good work environment it is a consequence. Different models, e.g. the PATH-model by Grawitch et al.(4) shows a synthesis of earlier research in a number of different disciplines and frames how a healthy workplace with wellbeing for the individual and organizational improvements can be achieved. Five general categories of healthy workplace practices were identified in the literature: work-life balance, employee growth and development, health and safety, recognition, and employee involvement. Previous research also suggests that the link between these practices and employee and organizational outcomes is contingent on the effectiveness of communication within the organization and the alignment of workplace practices with the organizational context. The GodA-project aims at investigating if work place strategies in line with the PATH-model lead to better health and wellbeing among the employees as well as organizational improvements. The GodA project is a 2 year follow up study with a survey feedback design in three companies with both blue- and white collar workers within the energy sector. One of the companies serves as "intervention company", the other two as controls. The project started out with a pre-project, by means of focus groups and individual interviews, in 2012 in order to find out how employees and managers in the three companies describe the concept of a healthy work environment, what they consider to create well-being at work, and how they perceive their own work environment: What factors are important for well-being at work? presented by T. Karlsson In 2013 a baseline questionnaire where was sent out including items a) based on the results from the pre-study, and b) well-established questions and indices on health and work environment. The results from the survey have been reported back to the companies, which now are processing their results. Research question to be presented and discussed at the symposium: Is there a balance between factors of importance for wellbeing at work and the extent to which they are present at the workplace? presented by P. Lindberg. Is there a correlation between psychosocial work climate indicators and work-related well- The PATH-model emphasizes internal communication as critical in establishing a healthy workplace. As the baseline results show that the communication is not very well developed, this is the primary target for our intervention. We will demonstrate a method for how the survey data are presented back to the intervention company and how they are going to work with the results to improve their work environment, and at the same time enhance communication skills. After our presentation we invite the audience to discuss both the GodA-study and more general methodological issues when conducting intervention-studies, e.g: - When is a company ready (mature) to take part in research activities? - What are the pitfalls in workplace intervention studies? - To what degree can the researchers interact at the workplace and still be objective? - What is the value of focusing on the items that the employees responded to in the survey? References 1. Swedish Work Environment Authority. Work -related disorders 2010 - Arbetsmiljöstatistisk Rapport 2010:4. Stockholm: Swedish Work Environment Authority. & Statistics Sweden 2010. 2. Aronsson G, Gustafsson K, Hakanen J. On the development of a positive work-life psychology. In: Christensen M, editor. Validation and test of central concepts in positive work and organizatinal psychology The second report from the Nordic project 'Positive factors at work'. TemaNord 2009:564. Copenhagen: Nordic Council of Ministers; 2009. p. 93-4. 3. Sauter S, Lim S, Murphy L. Organizational health: A new paradigm for occupational stress research at NIOSH. Japanese Journal of Occupational Mental Health. 1996;4:248-54. 4. Grawitch MJ, Gottschalk M, Munz DC. The path to a healthy workplace: A critical review linking healthy workplace practices, employee well-being, and organizational improvements. Consulting Psychology Journal. 2006;58(3):129-47.