Lost in translation? The role of supervisors in lean production

Ingvaldsen, Jonas A.; Benders, Jos

doi:10.1177/2397002215625893

Cited by 23 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 77 publications

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“…For workers, it was a matter of coordination. The reasons they gave for empowering an informal supervisor resonate with contingency theory: hierarchical decision-making is effective for coordinating operational processes characterized by task uncertainty or tight coupling (Collins and Hull, 1986;Ingvaldsen and Benders, 2016). Corroborating the findings of Barker (1993, pp.…”

Section: Upward and Downward Pressures For Hierarchymentioning

confidence: 74%

Back through the back door? On removing supervisors to reduce hierarchy

Ingvaldsen

Benders

2020

BJM

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PurposeThis article addresses why movements towards less-hierarchical organizing may be unsustainable within organizations.Design/methodology/approachEschewing hierarchy may prove sustainable if alternative forms of management are acceptable to both employees and managers accountable for those employees’ performance. Developing alternatives means dealing with the fundamentally contradictory functions of coordination and control. Through a qualitative case study of a manufacturing company that removed first-line supervisors, this article analyses how issues of control and coordination were dealt with formally and informally.FindingsRemoval of the formal supervisor was followed by workers’ and middle managers’ efforts to informally reconstruct hierarchical supervision. Their efforts to deal pragmatically with control and coordination were frustrated by formal prescriptions for less hierarchy, leading to contested outcomes. The article identifies upward and downward pressures for the hierarchy’s reconstruction, undermining the sustainability of less-hierarchical organizing.Research limitations/implicationsThis study is limited by the use of cross-sectional data and employees’ retrospective narratives. Future research on the sustainability of less-hierarchical organizing should preferably be longitudinal to overcome these limitations.Practical implicationsUnless organizational changes towards less hierarchy engage with issues of managerial control and upward accountability, they are likely to induce pressures for hierarchy’s reconstruction.Originality/valueThe article offers an original approach to the classical problem of eschewing hierarchy in organizations. The approach allows us to explore the interrelated challenges facing such restructuring, some of which are currently unacknowledged or underestimated within the literature.

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Section: Upward and Downward Pressures For Hierarchymentioning

confidence: 74%

Back through the back door? On removing supervisors to reduce hierarchy

Ingvaldsen

Benders

2020

BJM

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“…Karlsson & Åhlström, 1996), empirical research on plants with detailed knowledge of the Toyota Production System has indicated that these are characterized by narrow spans of control, with work unit leaders occupying strong positions of formal and informal power (Delbridge et al, 2000;Inamizu, Fukuzawa, Fujimoto, Shintaku & Suzuki, 2014;Ingvaldsen & Benders, 2016). Ingvaldsen and Benders (2016) argued that such arrangements are functional for the just-in-time production process, as supervisors handle coordination, coach workers, facilitate improvement activities, and form a buffer of manpower in the event of production disturbances. Furthermore, supervisors should act as 'benevolent fathers', educating workers but also disciplining them when necessary (Dore, 1973).…”

Section: The Lean-std Debatesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Not so different altogether: Putting Lean and sociotechnical design into practice in a process industry

Hekneby

Benders

Ingvaldsen

2021

JIEM

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Purpose: The shop-floor organization under lean production (LP) has been hotly debated for about three decades. As this organization concept leaves considerable room for interpretation, the content of lean-inspired changes can vary widely. This paper pleads for a contingency view of how LP is implemented and how the outcomes of lean-inspired changes rely on users’ interpretations of the concept in particular production contexts.Design/methodology/approach: A case study was conducted in two large Norwegian chemical plants. Data from the observations and interviews were supplemented by interviews with top managers in 2017 and 2018. The first author also followed a management audit in one plant, assessing the plant’s overall implementation of the company-specific production system.Findings: The lean-inspired changes in the company had brought about a shop-floor organization typically associated with sociotechnical design (STD), including extensive employee choice autonomy and a broad span of control.Originality/value: Our findings demonstrate the importance of understanding how lean is interpreted in different contexts. Our contingency view may aid organizational designers in making more-informed choices by clarifying relevant issues and trade-offs in lean implementations.

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“…The controlling supervisory style demands that employees adopt the supervisors' perspective, interrupts employees' thoughts, feelings or actions and puts pressure on employees to think, feel and behave in certain ways. Such practice of control and command is not uncommon in the lower-skilled occupations, especially in manufacturing industries (Ingvaldsen & Benders 2016), hence presenting a need to address the controlling supervisory style in the training. Hardré and Reeve (2009) recommended incorporating an awareness of the widespread nature of this controlling style into future autonomy-supportive training, encouraging learner to 1become less controlling by being mindful of the reason they adopt a more controlling style and its consequences, (2) desire an autonomy-supportive supervisory style by helping them appreciate the benefit of it, and (3) learn how to practice autonomy-supportive practices.…”

Section: Sdt and Autonomy-supportive Style Trainingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Supervisory skills training for the neglected supervisors: development and preliminary evaluation of an autonomy-supportive programme

Yong

Roche

Sutton

2019

ICT

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Purpose Previous studies have demonstrated that an autonomy-supportive supervision style is associated with improved well-being and positive behaviours for supervisees. However, autonomy-supportive training (AST) has yet to be tailored to suit supervisors in low-skilled occupations for whom traditional pedagogical approaches may be inappropriate. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development and preliminary evaluation of AST for these supervisors, using self-determination theory (SDT) and andragogical principles of adult learning. Design/methodology/approach SDT and andragogical principles were systematically integrated to develop (a 3 h) AST programme. The training sessions were trialled with 11 first-line supervisors in New Zealand as a preliminary evaluation of AST. The evaluation used open-ended questions following Kirkpatrick’s evaluation model and incorporated the trainer’s reflections. Findings Supervisors found AST relevant, easy to understand and suited to their approach to learning. Trainer’s reflections also provided insight into the challenges in conducting such training for supervisors in low-skilled occupations and the article makes suggestions to address these challenges. Research limitations/implications AST can be successfully tailored to first-line supervisors, indicating that an autonomy-supportive style of leadership is relevant for those employed in low-skilled occupations. This initial evaluation provides a foundation for future studies to conduct higher-level assessment of AST. Practical implications AST can be utilised to provide first-line supervisors with access to improved leadership development opportunities. Challenges of conducting this kind of training programme in a context of low-skilled occupations are addressed and recommendations made for organisations and trainers. Originality/value This study is novel as it demonstrates the development of AST, a leadership skills training, tailored to suit the needs of an understudied group, supervisors in low-skilled occupations.

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Lost in translation? The role of supervisors in lean production

Cited by 23 publications

References 77 publications

Back through the back door? On removing supervisors to reduce hierarchy

Back through the back door? On removing supervisors to reduce hierarchy

Not so different altogether: Putting Lean and sociotechnical design into practice in a process industry

Supervisory skills training for the neglected supervisors: development and preliminary evaluation of an autonomy-supportive programme

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