The evolution of operators’ role in production: how Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0 affect Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment

ABSTRACT

In modern manufacturing systems, operators’ role is evolving continuously in relation to the main production paradigms affecting how companies approach their manufacturing and logistics operations. If the introduction of Lean Manufacturing principles has affected workers’ well-being directly, the adoption of digital technologies is modifying how factory work is organised and performed. As a result, digitalised and Lean Manufacturing contexts require operators to enhance their skills increasingly to perform several tasks and functions. This paper examines the evolution of operators’ role in production by recalling two main work design paradigms that originated in the 1960s: Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment. Indeed, through a literature review and development of a causal loop diagram (CLD), this research points out how the main features of Industry 4.0 and Lean Manufacturing jointly affect the Job Enlargement and Job Enrichment concepts. The study significantly helps reshape work design in next-generation production systems, shedding light on the implications and relationships of the most widespread manufacturing paradigm, i.e. Lean Manufacturing and Industry 4.0, using Job Enrichment and Job Enlargement strategies. A CLD also can be a helpful tool for practitioners to understand what factors to leverage to increase efficiency and worker satisfaction.

KEYWORDS:

• Job Enrichment
• Job Enlargement
• Lean Manufacturing
• Industry 4.0
• work design

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Data availability statement

Data sharing is not applicable to this article as no new data were created or analysed in this study.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chiara Cimini

Chiara Cimini is a post-doc researcher at the Department of Management, Information and Production Engineering of the University of Bergamo (Italy). She received her PhD in Engineering and Applied Science in 2020 at the University of Bergamo and she is a member of CELS – Research Group on Industrial Engineering, Logistics, and Service Operations. Her main research interests concern Industry 4.0 and its impacts in the operations, with a special focus on the role of the operators, human factors and the new skills required to the workforce in the smart manufacturing and logistics context. Her expertise includes simulation, case study and action research.

Alexandra Lagorio

Alexandra Lagorio is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Management, Information and Production Engineering of the University of Bergamo. Since November 2013, she has been collaborating with the CELS group (Department of Management, Information and Production, University of Bergamo) on projects mainly in the area of Supply Chain and Logistics. She received a PhD in Economics and Management of Technology (Dreamt) in July 2018 from the University of Pavia and the University of Bergamo. Her expertise includes optimisation, simulations, and action research. Major areas of teaching and research include urban freight distribution, last-mile logistics, logistics 4.0, and healthcare logistics management.

Paolo Gaiardelli

Paolo Gaiardelli is an Associate Professor at the Department of Management, Information and Production Engineering of the University of Bergamo. His teaching and research subjects mainly focus on service and production management, with a specific interest in lean manufacturing. Recently his research interests have extended to the exploration of the role of lean thinking with reference to the main trends in industrial operations. In particular, he is involved in studying how the integration of lean approaches with digital technologies promotes sustainable production.