Abstract
This study uses the grounded theory approach to explore factory workers to factory worker interaction (FWI) in the context of Chinese factories and proposes a model of FWI in the workplace. Human interaction in the workplace is indispensable in most sectors. Compared with large-scale factories, China’s small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) factories lack capital resources and technological advancement, and sustainably managing factory workers is essential for the development of Chinese SME factories. However, previous studies have ignored FWI in Chinese factories. The model developed in this study considers the types, driving factors, and influential outcomes of FWI. The main factors affecting FWI are the individual characteristics of the workplace and external environmental factors and, among types of FWI, information sharing is the most dominant and prevailing. The managers’ management style and the emotional state of factory workers are playing moderating roles in FWI. Results show that factory managers can take advantage of the positive impacts of FWI to improve the efficiency of factory workers and avoid its negative effects to achieve sustainable development of the factory. Theoretical and managerial implications are provided.
Highlights
Most Chinese factories adopt a military-style Taylorist management system [1], and believe that this style of human resource management (HRM) can effectively promote efficiency in their workers
When the factory is short of orders, factory workers interact more than usual, they worry about their future: “Whenever I encounter a shortage of factory orders, I am afraid of losing my job” (PF5); “When we were short of orders, more of the topic of conversation was worrying about our product quality and losing customers” (PF4)
This study extends early work by accentuating the ways and reasons for the interactions of workers in Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) factories based on 30 workers in China through the grounded theory approach, as such a phenomenon requires more scrutiny across different contexts
Summary
Most Chinese factories adopt a military-style Taylorist management system [1], and believe that this style of human resource management (HRM) can effectively promote efficiency in their workers. Such factories’ workers cannot walk around away from their appointed workstation and cannot talk with each other during working hours [1,2]. Studies on HRM in Chinese SMEs and some developing countries focus primarily on effective employee recruitment and selection, high-level training, and high-performance work practices [12,19,20], whereas Western societies and Eastern developed countries give greater consideration to achieving superior performance by improving employees’ treatment and job attitudes [21,22].
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