Formulation of simple workforce skill constraints in assembly line balancing models

The objective of assembly line balancing (ALB) is to minimize the number of workstations organized to perform tasks with precedence constraints. An important element of proper assignment of tasks to workstations is the consideration of skill requirement of tasks, and skill level of workers. Some tasks may require special skills, some workers might not be able to perform complicated tasks, and some workers might be specialized for specific tasks. This paper provides a general framework to model skill requirements and skill conditions for assembly line balancing models. Three types of skill constraints are defined. Low skill constraints determine workstations for workers who are able to perform only some simple tasks. High skill constraints consider tasks which require higher than average skills of workers. Finally, exclusive skill constraints consider situations where a group of workers is specialized in a subset of tasks. The paper summarizes the mathematical description of the different skill constraints, and shows how simple assembly line balancing models can be completed with skill considerations. The mathematical characteristics of the resulting models are discussed, and some sample problems are solved to illustrate the results of each specific skill situation

Introduction

This book investigates restructuring in the electronics industry and in particular the impact of a \u2018Chinese\u2019 labour regime on work and employ - ment practices in electronics assembly in Europe.1 Electronics is an extremely dynamic sector, characterized by an ever-changing organi - zational structure, as well as cut-throat competition, particularly in manufacturing. Located primarily in East Asia, electronics assembly has become notorious for poor working conditions, low unionisation and authoritarian labour relations. However, hostile labour relations and topdown HR policies are not unique to East Asia. They have become associated with the way the sector is governed more broadly, with a number of Western companies also coming to rely on such practices

Real and Monetary Challenges to Wage Policy in Germany at the Turn of the Millennium : Technical Progress, Globalization and European Monetary Union

At the turn of the millennium three frequently cited potential causes of new challenges for wage policy in Germany are revisited in this study: skilled-biased technological progress, the increasing international integration of labor and product markets, and the monetary integration of the EMU. While there is now a fairly broad consensus on the basic facts about the development of wages and employment across skill groups, there is considerable disagreement to explain these trends, in particular to what extent skill-biased technical change and trade liberalization share a major responsibility. The conclusion of this paper is that both factors are at work with a slight emphasis on the first candidate. Moreover, while EMU in our opinion does not represent the major threat for wage policy, it is the Single Market which requires wage policy to be on the lookout and to meet those challenges

Globalisation of production and markets.

Internationale Arbeitsteilung; Direktinvestition; Internationale Unternehmenskooperation; Industriegüteraußenhandel; Internationaler Wettbewerb; Welt; EU-Staaten; USA; Japan;

Perils of the High and Low Roads: Employment Relations in the United States and Germany

[Excerpt] The U.S. crisis is characterized by growing income inequality, a shrinking safety net, and the decline of worker representation. Like the German crisis, it is caused in part by intensified global competition. Unlike in Germany, problems in the United States have also been exacerbated by deregulation, short-term horizons (e.g., quarterly reports to shareholders), and the decline of the labor movement. Both Germany and the United States, however, have substantial political, economic, and social resources to use in solving their problems. The contemporary crises do not appear for either of these countries to foreshadow a major collapse like that of the Great Depression. We are confident that actors in Germany and the United States can and will pursue reforms, including policy innovations and negotiation. In so doing, we suggest that these societies—the two strongest western economies—have a great deal to learn from each other and from their common experience in the global economy. They do not need, and are unlikely to get, convergence. Yet, each could benefit significantly by adopting elements and aspects of the other\u27s institutions, practices, and policies. In this chapter, the focus is on employment relations, which we believe are central to the broader economic and social problems in each society. We consider the following two interrelated questions. First, exactly how do the internal and external pressures on employment relations emerge in each country? Second, in what tangible forms do these pressures appear on the ground, where labor and business (and, more indirectly, other political, social, and economic actors) interact to perpetuate, alter, or scrap certain modes of production, including service delivery, work organization, and negotiation