The impact of the organization of the working day on production efficiency in the laboratory of plant tissue cultures

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of the study was to rate the employee’s productivity on different work day organization and to indicate the most optimal work schedule. Design/methodology/approach: For the research presented in this paper, strong literature review was done. We showed why human workforce is so important in tissue culture laboratory and why proper work organization is essential for increasing competitiveness of companies. Literature in the field of overtime work and short, elastic hours of work was also presented. Our research design checked effectiveness of work of ten employees of tissue culture laboratory in five different workday schedules. First combination was control and four other investigated influence of six hour work on main task in different arrangements on productivity. Data was statistically analysed with Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA. Productivity Index and Labour Productivity Index were also used for better results processing. Findings: The highest employees productivity is concentrated in the middle of work day. In conventional eight hour workday, the highest productivity is just after fifteen minute break. Six hour workday has big potential in increasing work, especially when main task is not interrupted by other activities and when work starts at the beginning of workday. Research limitations/implications: In future, research should be expanded on employees efficiency in work with bioreactor and costs analysis of plant production in such system. Practical implications: Our results are directed to plant tissue culture companies and others where employees are essential and their work requires concentration during repetitive activities. We suggest solutions increasing work efficiency. Originality/value: Our work presents hour after hour analysis of work efficiency in different workday organization in plant tissue culture company. Keywords: day schedule, productivity, work organization, work effectiveness. Category of the paper: Research paper.