Model/framework for addressing continuous improvement projects effectively and efficiently using Six Sigma methodology. Case study of automotive auxialiry company

The purpose of this work is to develop a model for implementing an effective and efficient Continuous Improvement projects, aimed at increasing the performance of production processes. In particular, it aims to innovate in the way of deploying a Program Improvement in the company to make this process run as efficiently as possible. Although continuous improvement programs are some of the tools that are commonly used in industrial environments to increase the performance of their processes, it has become clear that there is a need to develop a continuous improvement model that will be implemented efficiently, and its results will remain over time. Also, it has been found that the model mentioned previously should serve to develop the foundations of an Organization which learns quickly and continuously

Identification of the factors which influence employee commitment using system thinking

In our increasingly globalised economy, managing continuous change and remaining competitive has become a central issue for organisations in the industrial sector. Building a sustainable competitive advantage through effective decision making and the use of decision making tools has been widely studied [1,2]. The success of a company will be dependent on the skills of the workers, their capacity for learning, and adapting to special and evolving client necessities. Culture change via, communication and participation are the elements of change identified for engineering companies [3]. Thus, the main objective of this research is to understand the behaviour of commitment, the variables that influence it and the variables that are influenced by it. Commitment is considered a key factor due to its influence on performance. The methodology that was followed was based on the modelling methodology proposed by Sterman [4]. The first step was the problem definition, the second step was data collection. The purpose was to define the feedback loops of which the conceptual model (CM) is composed. Thirdly, conceptual model definition was developed. As a result, the final outcome that is achieved through this research is a conceptual model. The main function of this model is to facilitate the understanding of the behaviour of commitment through Systems Thinking tools. This research contributes to both Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Systems Thinking (ST) fields of study. The most notable contribution for ST is the fact of combining more than one input source (Literature + Group Model Building + prior research) for the conceptual model definition. The combination of these input sources for an ST model is not common in the scientific community. Moreover, the use of ST in SHRM is limited.En el entorno globalizado en el que vivimos, la capacidad de gestionar el cambio y ser competitivo se ha convertido en el foco central de las organizaciones en el sector industrial. La obtención de ventaja competitiva mediante la toma de decisiones efectiva y la utilización de herramientas resulta de interés [1,2]. El éxito de las organizaciones depende de las habilidades de los trabajadores, su capacidad de aprendizaje, y de adaptación a las necesidades de los clientes. El cambio de cultura organizacional, comunicación y participación son los elementos clave identificados para las organizaciones de ingeniería [3]. Así, el objetivo principal de esta investigación es la comprensión del comportamiento de la variable compromiso, las variables que influyen, y las alteradas por el mismo. El compromiso es considerado clave debido a su influencia en el rendimiento. La metodología que se ha seguido está basada en el proceso propuesto por Sterman [4]. El primer paso fue la definición del problema, el segundo paso la recogida de datos. El objetivo fue la definición de círculos de retroalimentación que componen el modelo conceptual (MC). En tercer lugar, se realizó la definición del modelo. Finalmente, el resultado obtenido es un modelo conceptual. La función principal de éste es facilitar la comprensión del comportamiento de la variable comportamiento mediante Pensamiento Sistémico. Este estudio contribuye a ambos campos de Gestión Estratégica de Personas (GEP), y Pensamiento Sistémico (PS). La mayor contribución para el PS es el hecho de combinar más de una fuente (Literatura+ Group Model Building + investigación previa) para la definición del modelo conceptual. La combinación de estas fuentes para la construcción de modelos PS no es común en la comunidad científica. Además, el uso de PS en GEP es limitada

Comparison : Group Model Building Workshops of Two SMEs from the Basque Industrial Sector

Group Model Building (GMB) is a methodology which involves a target group in the business of model formulation and conceptualization. It is crucial to obtain extended formal models and accelerate group decision support for future model building. In this paper the development of two GMB workshops for two Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME) from the Basque Industrial Sector is presented. These workshops focused solely on one problem: the analysis of the commitment of workers to the organization. Each session in each company was of four-hour duration and involved eight workers and two facilitators. This article highlights the importance of involving decision-making agents from each company in the reflection and process of finding solutions for their problem. The results suggest that in spite of the inherent differences and distinct features of each company, both have important similarities when tackling the same problem. These similarities could be translated to a general pattern conceptual model, which could be simulated as a generic (model)

Bateratzen: Empresas Competitivas y Personas Comprometidas

Las claves para la transición hacia nuevos modelos organizativos de alta implicación: Aprendizajes de una década de investigación

Bateratzen: Enpresa Lehiakorrak eta Pertsona Konprometituak

Inplikazio handiko antolaketa eredu berrietara igarotzeko gakoak: ikerketan emandako hamarkada baten ikaskuntzak

The link between HIWPs and well-being at work: the mediating role of trust

Purpose – This paper examines the extent to which investment in human capital (HC) influences employee well-being, focusing on companies in the Basque Country in Northern Spain. Specifically, it analyzes the effects of worker perceptions of high-involvement work system (HIWS) on job satisfaction (JS) and affective commitment (AC), directly and through the mediating role of trust in management. This trust mediating role was also explored by analyzing the isolated effects of high-involvement work processes (power, information, reward and knowledge [PIRK] enhancing practices) on JS and AC. Design/methodology/approach – The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used on a sample of 2,199 employees from 425 organizations working in different industries. As the study was performed at the organizational level, aggregation was conducted first. Findings – The findings revealed that trust partially mediated the relationship between HIWS and JS, although AC was directly predicted by the system. In contrast, a trust mediating role was confirmed in the relationship between all PIRK processes, JS and AC. Originality/value –This study highlights the “hinge”role of trust in linking high-involvement work practices (HIWPs) as an approach to assess HC in organizations and well-being at work. It further conceptualizes HIWS via a PIRK model and operationalizes it through systemic and dimensional approach

Strategic Human Resource Management: 37 years in academia, how many in practice? A focus on Large Companies

In the fast-changing global workplace of today, maintaining competitive advantage has become imperative to survival. Employees matter today more than ever since they become non-imitable sources of firm uniqueness that can deliver value to every stakeholder. Based on this, the field of Strategic HRM has gained a special interest among researchers and practitioners since it employs a strategic approach to the role of employees within the organisations. However, looking at the business world results, it looks like there is a divorce between academia and practitioners and that they are operating in a parallel way. With the aim of evidencing this gap and echoing this issue, this chapter is structured as follows. It starts with a summary of the research conducted under the SHRM field in the last two decades. It follows with a section that evidences the gap between research and practice showing the results of global companies’ surveys related to people management. In the third section a special focus on big companies is done due to their importance when legitimizing managerial trends. The chapter finishes with some conclusions and thoughts for future managers

Activity of recent endolithic bivalves (Pholas) in carbonated boulders from the Biscay abrasion platform: morphology and microstructures

Along the Biscay (Armintza-Sopelana) abrasion carbonated platform, at least four different marine bioeroders have been identified (sponges, polychaete annelids, endolithic bivalves and sipunculids). The most abundant recent structures (Gastrochaenolites), correspond to endolithic bivalves as Pholas genera, which in many occasions have preserved their valves in a hard carbonated substrate. There exists a lithologic control (carbonated vs siliciclastic rocks) in the hard substrate. Below the 60% CaCO3 it is not possible bioeroder colonization, which can reach high values (70 units/100cm2) in appropriate conditions. The aragonite composition and the complex cross foliated and regular simple prismatic microstructures of the Pholas valves are characteristic. The dominant drilling mechanism is chemical from dissolution of carbonated hard substrat