Socio-technical perspective on manufacturing system synergies

A micro-level perspective using socio-technical theory is used to examine synergies in advanced manufacturing systems (AMS) and their impact on manufacturing performance. It is proposed that the system-level interactions predicated by socio-technical theory extend to the subsystem-level. AMS are classified into three constituent subsystems – technological, manufacturing methods and high-involvement work practices – and hypothesize various ‘microsystems’ formed by combinations of the components of these subsystems. Each ‘microsystem’ is hypothesized to have an impact on particular dimensions of performance. The hypothesis is tested by employing regression analysis. The findings isolate synergistic influences among the components of AMSs on performance. The implications of these findings are discussed in the light of theory and practice.

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