Team‐based sewn products manufacturing: a case study

Abstract

Examines a team system using a case study approach in a sewn products plant that transitioned to the team system almost ten years ago. The theoretical framework utilized in the analysis of data was participative management, wherein it has been found that there is a relationship between employee knowledge and performance. Specific themes that arose were successes in the transition to the new team system, including benefits to the plant, and ongoing challenges of the new team system. Data were based on 16 in‐depth personal interviews, observations, written documents, and informal conversations with plant employees. The key elements of success in the transition were commitment by upper level managers, education for all employees, and the establishment of open communication among employees and with management. The team system resulted in a number of benefits and challenges to the plant as a whole.

The cultural characteristic of individualism/collectivism: A comparative study of implications for investment in operations between emerging Asian and industrialized Western countries

“…As such, Fraser et al (2007) investigated team‐based cellular manufacturing, stressing the importance of human factors, and Gunasekaran et al (2000) associated JIT with teamwork and teams being responsible for productivity improvements. Team‐based work was also regarded as being crucial in achieving throughput time reductions (Dillard, 2000), setup time reductions (Williams, 1996), total quality management (Irani et al, 2002), and statistical process control (Buch and Wetzel, 1993).…”

Empowered teams effecting positive corporate culture change

“…Previous research, including previous work of the current researchers (Dillard et al, 2000), indicates positive outcomes of the participative approach for manufacturers including increased productivity, decreased throughput time, and increased quality. This research examines perceptions of the participative approach from the employees' perspective ± again positive outcomes were found.…”

“…Employee satisfaction is paramount to employee retention. It has been shown that the participative approach offers competitive advantages for manufacturers including increased quality and decreased throughput time (Dillard et al, 2000;Hossein, 1991); but do employees also perceive benefits to such an approach? It has been found that employee retention and job performance is oftentimes dependent on employee satisfaction (Kirkman and Rosen, 2000), therefore the study of employees' views of the participative, team approach is a worthwhile endeavor.…”

Reference model for apparel product development

“…The paradigm of effective management in the apparel industry is related to the prediction of consumer needs and desires. Accordingly, the companies in this sector need to respond with innovation and products that are designed and manufactured properly (DILLARD et al, 2000;LITTLE, 2006). These companies need to develop and manufacture lines of high-quality, diversified and competitively priced products (KWAK et al, 2010).…”

“…These companies need to develop and manufacture lines of high-quality, diversified and competitively priced products (KWAK et al, 2010). They also need to reduce the product development (PD) time and manage employees effectively to meet these challenges (DILLARD et al, 2000). In this environment, in which the competition is intense and dynamic, to dominate the market, a company's ability to conceive and design a great variety of quality products faster than its competitors is instrumental (WHEELWRIGHT;CLARK, 1992).…”