Workforce Involvement Research Articles

Integrated material logistics and continuous flow manufacturing

Integrated material logistics is the integration of both materials and information flow into an effective and efficient total system. Continuous flow manufacturing (CFM) is a philosophy that concentrates on the elimination of waste, total quality control and total work-force involvement as a means of achieving and sustaining manufacturing competitiveness. This paper reports on the approach to the design and implementation of integrated material logistics with continuous flow manufacturing at IBM Havant Plant, The adoption of a competitive logistics strategy led to a fundamental re-appraisal of the role of logistics in discrete manufacturing. The later development and implementation of a blueprint required a focused cross-disciplinary team supported by more robust controls. Opportunities for work re-organization and devolution of responsibility were taken. With major investment in education and training, new processes and new measurements of process efficiency, a radical change in the culture of the facility was effected. The CFM paradigm continues to exert a profound influence for improvement throughout every aspect of the logistics process.

Drug use, educational aspirations, and work force involvement: the transition from adolescence to young adulthood.

The impact of high school drug use and academic potential on high school outcome (graduate or dropout) and young adult work force involvement, college involvement, and educational aspirations was examined. Frequency of drug use, grade point average, and educational plans were assessed for 479 adolescents while in high school. Four years later this same group of individuals, now in their early 20s, reported their current level of drug use, present life involvement on a variety of measures, and whether they had ever graduated from high school. Results indicate that high school graduation is predicted from a lack of cigarette and hard drug use and the presence of high academic aspirations. Using latent variable causal models, it was found that high school Academic Potential and Drug Use were significantly correlated in a negative direction. Across-time analyses indicate that high school Academic Potential significantly predicted young adult Educational Aspirations, College Involvement, and college attendance. High school Drug Use significantly predicted young adult Drug Use, a lack of College Involvement, and increased Work Force Involvement. These results do not support a psychogenic hypothesis of drug use and academic potential but rather confirm an impaired abilities or general deviance interpretation.

Safety in Construction: Self Regulation, Industrial Structure and Workforce Involvement

Safety in Construction: Self Regulation, Industrial Structure and Workforce Involvement

How Glacier broke the ice on worker participation

Workforce involvement in company policy‐making is nothing new at Glacier Metal. They've been practising the idea for nearly 30 years, and have set up a special institute to pass on the fruits of their experiences to other companies. David Harvey talks to the institute's principal, Ernest Goldring, and comes up with observations which are of major significance in the current controversy over who‐decides‐what in industry.