Quality of working life in the automobile industry: A Canada‐UK comparative study

Abstract

The paper examines the impact of lean production on indicators of the quality of life at work in the automotive industry and finds that it varies across companies and to a lesser extent between countries. The paper explains this by arguing that lean production seeks to impose new employment standards. This is a contested process where management's capacity to shift to new standards and labour's ability to protect its interests vary across workplaces.

Is an Efficacious Operation a Safe Operation: The Role of Operational Practices in Worker Safety Outcomes

“…There is a significant body of research that links lean to increased injuries and illness, e.g., [29], [33], [39]. In light of the tradeoff perspective, these findings make sense.…”

Managing Safety and Operations

“…Third, lean production, considered a ''best practice'' in operations, has frequently been associated with poor OHS outcomes. [6][7][8][9] Finally, economists in the OHS field have historically conceptualized workplace injuries and illnesses as simply an undesirable by-product of the production process, something that can be mitigated or minimized, but at a cost. 10 In the newer OHS intervention literature, it is becoming customary to consider the economic merits (ie, impact on the company's bottom line) alongside effectiveness when evaluating interventions directed at improving OHS outcomes, 11 though this literature still frames OHS as an add-on at the margins, rather than as an integral part of operations.…”

Managerial Practices that Support Lean and Socially Sustainable Working Conditions

“…Regarding research on lean and employee control, the majority of studies report restricted employee control in lean companies (c.f. Jackson & Mullarkey, 2000;Lewchuk et al, 2001;Parker, 2003;Schouteten & Benders, 2004). Only a few studies indicate increased autonomy (Nielsen, 1996;Saurin & Ferreira, 2009;Seppälä & Klemola, 2004).…”