PRODUCTION MANAGEMENT AND EMPLOYEES - A SURVEY OF AUTO PARTS COMPANIES

ABSTRACT Purpose: This paper presents an overview of the adoption of methods of production management methods for auto parts companies in Brazil and verifies if there is involvement of shop floor workers in their use, taking into consideration the relevance of involvement to organizational performance and obtaining the results expected from the adoption of these methods, as indicated by in line with research on participatory management and the manuals in the area of operations management. Originality/gap/relevance/implications: Involvement is a significant construct in product management and has been widely researched, but little research has been dedicated to investigating whether there is any involvement of employees in the use of multiple methods. Most of the existing research concentrates analysis on the adoption of a single method in isolation and in the literature it has been observed that companies do not always follow the recommendation to involve workers in their use, thus what motivated this study. Key methodological aspects: We conducted a survey in 95 auto parts companies to gain access to information about a wide range of auto parts companies, plotting an overview of the adopted production management methods adopted and examining the extent of the involvement of employees. Summary of key results: Most of methods investigated were widely adopted by the companies surveyed. Generally, the surveyed companies stated that there is employee involvement, although this varies from one method to another. The study identified cases in which methods have been adopted and after some time have ceased to be used by some companies. The abandonment of Six Sigma occurred mainly in companies in which there was no involvement of employees in the application of this method. The method most commonly abandoned, however, was the suggestion program, despite exhibiting greater employee involvement, indicating that some companies continue to experience difficulty applying this type of method over time. Limited time for training may also have hampered the use of some methods. Key considerations/conclusions: The researched methods have been implemented by the examined companies. The research confirms that quality still plays a major role concerning employee involvement; representing one of the most noticeable aspects regarding lean production. Most of the investigated training is focused on this area, but the fact that time dedicated to training is short helps elucidate the difficulty related to involvement in methods which require a higher level of formal training. Cases in which companies implemented certain methods and soon discontinued them have been observed, highlighting the suggestion program, in which the employee involvement is central; what indicates that difficulties related to this involvement remain in some companies.