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Lean production, employee learning and workplace outcomes: a case analysis through the ability‐motivation‐opportunity framework
Author(s) -
Sterling Amanda,
Boxall Peter
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
human resource management journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.44
H-Index - 77
eISSN - 1748-8583
pISSN - 0954-5395
DOI - 10.1111/1748-8583.12010
Subject(s) - production (economics) , lean manufacturing , business , control (management) , quality (philosophy) , literacy , marketing , knowledge management , psychology , microeconomics , management , economics , pedagogy , computer science , philosophy , epistemology
This study examines an implementation of lean production in fast‐moving consumer goods manufacturing, analysing how it has affected employee learning and job quality. We find major variation in these outcomes. Where line managers have relinquished significant control, and workers have had the requisite levels of literacy, more powerful forms of learning have occurred, and the outcomes are mutually beneficial. However, deeper learning has yet to take hold where production pressures are high, line managers are not enabling and workers lack self‐efficacy because of low literacy. Better outcomes depend on greater investments in the development and ongoing support of front‐line managers and in literacy development. The study shows how the ability‐motivation‐opportunity framework can be used to organise relevant theory and throw light on the systemic nature of workplace learning.