Workers' assessments of three flexible manufacturing systems

Abstract

This article explores workers' reactions to three flexible manufacturing systems (FMSs) through their responses to the Job Diagnostic Survey and other questionnaire items. Data from two installations are compard to data presented in previous studies of a third installation and to samples of workers on stand-alone machines. One of the new cases was characterized by its semi-autonomous team organization, while the other new installation was organized along rather conventional lines. Three results are highlighted. First, the skill requirements of FMS jobs were seen by workers as greater than the skill requirements of both stand-alone conventional and NC equipment. Second, workers on both these new FMSs expressed equally high levels of satisfaction and motivation, considerably higher than that found in the earlier study. Third, an understanding of these worker reactions to FMSs requires a detailed characterization of their specific tasks and technologies.