Karen A. Brown

A Comparison of Just-in-Time and Batch Manufacturing: The Role of Performance Obstacles

Employee perceptions of performance obstacles were measured during a conversion to “just-in-time” (JIT) manufacturing methods in which creation of manufacturing “cells” was the major focus of the c...

Workplace safety: A call for research

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to call attention to the increased importance of workplace safety in the field of operations management, and to suggest ways in which this topic can be woven into research agendas. A key tenet is the proposition that the competitive priority construct (quality, cost, delivery and flexibility) may need to be expanded to include social responsibility - with workplace safety as one dimension of this new priority. The cost of workplace injuries in the U.S. is increasing at an alarming rate, and accident occurrences have grown steadily over the last several years. The manufacturing sector is especially vulnerable to safety problems and, thus, is the central focus of this paper. A number of new factors are increasing the importance of related issues for operations managers. Three of these factors - the quality movement, changes in technology and changes in operations practices - are embedded within the operations function. Two others - workforce diversity and organized labor interests - are associated with the human resource function but have links with operations. Political, legal and public forces stem from outside the boundaries of the organization, but still have important influences on operations management. Regardless of the origins of these phenomena, all have direct effects on the management of operations and all have significant implications for research in this field.

A socio-technical systems approach to cell design: case study and analysis

Abstract There exists a large and growing body of academic research exploring various facets of cell design. Most of this research adopts a micro-level focus, investigating one or a few issues within this large and complex process. Further, most of this research can be characterized as technically focused, giving only limited attention to the significant human dimensions. This has led to a situation where we know a great deal about certain steps in technical design of cells (for example, how to form machine groups and parts families among small data sets), but lack a well-developed and broadly-focused theory of cell design and its human consequences. Based on a review of both existing cell design approaches and socio-technical systems (STS) theory literature, this paper proposes a comprehensive model of cell system design that considers both technical and social dimensions. We illustrate the viability of this model via an observational case study of a very successful cell manufacturing implementation effort in a Fortune 500 company. We highlight the ways in which STS principles influenced and enhanced the cell system design and draw conclusions about the elements of cell system design which appear to be the most significant determinants of sustainable success.

Impact of material flow policies and goals on job outcomes

A manual production line was examined for effects of different material flow policies and 3 different goal-setting policies. The line used a push system, where workers work at their own pace (assuming available work ) and pass work to the next station as soon as the work is completed, and a pull system, where workers pass work only when the next worker needs it. Three different goal-setting policies involved no specified goals, individual goals, or group goals confounded with monetary incentives and feedback. Measurements were taken from unobtrusive videotaping and worker questionnaires. Analyses indicated productivity increased approximately 25% when group goals were matched to a pull policy (compared to a push policy with no specified goals). Other results relating to productivity and job satisfaction are discussed.

Developing project management skills: A service learning approach

This paper describes a unique approach to project management education. MBA students enrolled in a project management course have been renovating homes for low-income senior citizens. Concurrent with instruction in project planning and control methods, students must communicate with a customer, plan tasks, coordinate schedules, procure materials, learn construction skills, perform physical labor, and track project progress. Reflection activities ensure that students see the broadly applicable metaphors that emerge from the experience. Results indicate that a community service project can provide a powerful learning vehicle. Evidence from similar programs run through corporations suggests that this approach is suited to industry applications, as well.

Predicting inventory record-keeping errors with discriminant analysis: A field experiment

Abstract As more organizations adopt perpetual inventory monitoring systems, concerns about discrepancies between physical counts and perpetual record balances are likely to increase. Depending on the direction of error, these discrepancies can lead to unnecessary inventory holding costs or to delays in production. Ultimately, they can affect relationships with customers and the financial viability of an organization. This study involved a stockroom experiment that was designed to assess the causes of inventory record errors in a manufacturing setting. Data from the experiment were analyzed using discriminant analysis, and the results indicated that the following variables influenced inventory record accuracy: unit value, weigh-counting, quantity on-hand, dollar value of the stock on-hand, number of places the part was used, and the stockroom staffs rating of the error likelihood for a part. Contrary to expectations, neither the quantity per transaction for a part nor the number of transactions for a part were significant predictors of error. Experimental controls, as well as the nature of the organizations inventory system, suggest that the results may be generalized to similar settings. Moreover, the research methods described here may be adopted or modified by firms wishing to develop diagnostic models of their own.

Performance obstacles for direct and indirect labour in high technology manufacturing

Abstract Performance obstacles are factors in the work environment that restrict productivity by inhibiting employees in the execution of task responsibilities. In spite of their apparent importance, little research has been done to describe, categorize, or assess these obstacles. A research project carried out in 12 United States electronics firms demonstrates that employees in two groups (circuit board assemblers and manufacturing engineers) view performance obstacles as having a significant influence on their performance. Materials and information obstacles emerged as being the most important to the circuit board assemblers. For the engineers, information and control/authority were the most important obstacle categories. Managers tended to agree with circuit board assemblers about the importance of obstacles for that employee group. However, managers tended to disagree with the engineers, giving lower ratings of importance than the engineers did in several categories. The research provides a step towar...

Influence of Task Interdependence an Number of Poor Performance on Diagnoses of Causes of Poor Performance

In this article the authors examine how supervisors are influenced by the relationship between the number of poorly performing employees in a group and the degree of task interdependence. The autho...

Quadrant Homes Applies Lean Concepts in a Project Environment

Quadrant Homes, a subsidiary of Weyerhaeuser Corporation, provides transferable lessons for applying lean-manufacturing concepts in project environments. The company has obtained impressive market and financial results, using an even-flow, predictable scheduling model in which it starts six houses per day and finishes each one in exactly 54 days. Quadrant follows recognized lean principles, including (1) designing its value stream around customer needs, (2) balancing work so all stages flow evenly, (3) operating on the basis of customer pull, and (4) continuously improving. Quadrant makes the lean principles work in a project environment by (1) knowing what can be standardized and what must be customized, (2) carefully setting and consistently managing customer expectations, (3) aligning goals of all stakeholders, and (4) recognizing that variances will occur, and designing routines to handle them when they do.

Does employee safety influence customer satisfaction? Evidence from the electric utility industry.

PROBLEM Research on workplace safety has not examined implications for business performance outcomes such as customer satisfaction. METHOD In a U.S. electric utility company, we surveyed 821 employees in 20 work groups, and also had access to archival safety data and the results of a customer satisfaction survey (n=341). RESULTS In geographically-based work units where there were more employee injuries (based on archival records), customers were less satisfied with the service they received. Safety climate, mediated by safety citizenship behaviors (SCBs), added to the predictive power of the group-level model, but these two constructs exerted their influence independently from actual injuries. In combination, two safety-related predictor paths (injuries and climate/SCB) explained 53% of the variance in customer satisfaction. DISCUSSION Results offer preliminary evidence that workplace safety influences customer satisfaction, suggesting that there are likely spillover effects between the safety environment and the service environment. Additional research will be needed to assess the specific mechanisms that convert employee injuries into palpable results for customers. IMPACT ON INDUSTRY Better safety climate and reductions in employee injuries have the potential to offer payoffs in terms of what customers experience.