Citation

Faye H, Falzon P. Appl. Ergon. 2009; 40(5): 915-921.

Affiliation

Center for Quality and Productivity Improvement, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1550 Engineering Dr., Madison, WI 53706, USA. hfaye@cqpi.engr.wisc.edu

Copyright

(Copyright © 2009, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.apergo.2009.01.005

PMID

19230859

Abstract

Production in the automotive industry, based on assembly line work, is now characterized by lean manufacturing and customization. This results in greater flexibility and increased quality demands, including worker performance self-monitoring. The objectives of this study are to refine the concept of performance self-monitoring and to characterize the strategies developed by operators to achieve it. Data were collected based on the method of individual auto-confrontation, consisting of two steps: eleven assembly-line operators of a French automotive company were individually observed and video-taped while they were working; an interview then allowed each operator to discuss his/her activity based on the video-tape. This study expands the concept of performance self-monitoring by highlighting three types of strategies directly oriented toward quality: prevention, feedback control and control action strategies.

Language: en