High Performance Work Strategies: Empowerment Or Repression For The Working Class?

Abstract

<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; margin: 0in 0.6in 0pt 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">A brief overview of work organization from pre-industrial times to today is presented.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>The importance of lean production and just-in-time inventory (JIT) as high performance work organization techniques in manufacturing assembly operations is highlighted as important business strategies for firms competing in the global auto industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Lean production and JIT strategies, when properly implemented, positively impact the need for manufacturing flexibility and customer demands for high quality and short delivery time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>However, there is growing concern that these strategies are having an unintended and negative impact on worker well being.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>Recent empirical work on the lean production and JIT in auto assembly plants is presented in light of its impact on workers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span>In addition, an assessment is made as to whether these strategies empower or repress members of today's working class. <span style="mso-tab-count: 1;">             </span></span></p>