Lean leadership behaviours required for employee engagement
- Authors: Grewan, Symone
- Date: 2019
- Subjects: Leadership , Management -- South Africa Employee motivation -- South Africa Employees -- Attitudes
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10948/39665 , vital:35345
- Description: The study highlighted the importance of leadership and employee engagement in LEAN manufacturing. Dombrowski and Mielke emphasised the critical importance of leadership as a cornerstone for stimulating employee engagement in continuous improvement systems. It was also noted that leadership was listed as either the key failure factor or key success factor for LEAN Implementation. This study confirmed that LEAN Leadership behaviours have a definite effect on employee engagement. The LEAN Leadership Model was tested on employee engagement in a Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) confectionery plant in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Two mail surveys were used. The first survey was directed towards shop-floor factory operators, which included 141 respondents. This figure was greater than 50% of the target population. The survey tested for employee engagement (dependent variable) and the operator’s perception of their line manager behaviours (independent variables). The second survey was directed towards line managers, which included 8 respondents, providing 100% of the desired population. The survey for the line managers requested them to respond to their own engagement, as well as their perception of their own leadership behaviours. The study aimed to answer three research questions related to: The effect of LEAN Leadership behaviours on employee engagement. The suitability of the LEAN Leadership Model for promoting employee engagement. Whether or not the perception of shop-floor employees met the perception of line managers on leadership behaviours. In answering the first research question, the descriptive statistical analysis showed that LEAN Leadership behaviours have a positive influence on employee engagement. This was confirmed using a Pearson Correlation Test and the ANOVA Test amongst the different line managers. The findings correlated with studies reviewed in the literature chapter. The second research question asked whether the LEAN Leadership Model was a suitable framework for employee engagement or not. It was found that the hypothesised framework was not validated. Through conducting an EFA and mediating variable test, a new model i.e. The LEAN Leadership – Employee Engagement Model was constructed. The model comprised of two independent variables (Authentic Improvement Culture and Hoshin Kanri), one mediating variable (Gemba Qualification) and one dependent variable (Employee Engagement). Overall, the LEAN Leadership - Employee Engagement Model suggested that line managers were able to promote employee engagement by spending time with employees and recognising them on the shop-floor. The model also showed that Authentic Improvement Culture leadership behaviours and strategic management behaviours (Hoshin Kanri) had a direct positive influence on employee engagement, while they also indirectly worked through the Gemba Qualification to positively influence engagement. It is worth mentioning that the role of the Team is the centre of the LEAN Leadership Model, from which the LEAN Leadership – Employee Engagement Model was derived. It is important that the role of the team in LEAN methodologies, and the behaviours that promote teamwork amongst the shop-floor employees, does not lose focus. The final research question on whether or not shop-floor perceptions met line manager perceptions regarding line manager behaviours was also answered through a Two Sample T-Test. Large effects in perception were not apparent regarding Authentic Improvement Culture behaviours. With regard to the Gemba Qualification and Hoshin Kanri, line managers felt that they displayed more of these behaviours than what was perceived by their shop-floor employees. Overall, large effects showed that in some cases, perceptions differed. This had the potential to influence shop-floor employee engagement. The findings from this research study provided a management solution and an academic contribution to influence and correct leadership behaviours to aid sustainable LEAN Implementation. In addition, the findings could be used to troubleshoot stagnations in LEAN phase executions from a possible lack of employee engagement.
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- Date Issued: 2019
The effectiveness of productivity improvement initiatives at the Eberspacher Port Elizabeth manufacturing plant : an empirical study
- Authors: Zerbst, Nicolaas Jacobus
- Date: 2011
- Subjects: Industrial productivity , Manufacturing industries -- Labor productivity -- South Africa -- Port Elizabeth
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:8782 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1013009
- Description: Manufacturing in South Africa constantly face competition from both local as well as foreign entities. Productivity growth is viewed by many executives and business leaders as the key element in maintaining competitiveness in the global economy. The success of the South African manufacturing and its global competitiveness lie in its productivity. By focusing on promoting productivity, South African manufacturers will establish a source of sustained competitive gains, while labour will establish a sustainable source of income growth. The Eberspacher South Africa Port Elizabeth (ESA) is not in any way immune to the level of competition that impacts all businesses in South Africa. ESA not only competeswith other local catalytic converter companies in terms of a high level of productivity, but also with other manufacturing plants within the Eberspacher Group globally. In Eberspacher all exhaust manufacturing plants are constantly benchmarked, comparing productivity levels, quality levels, cost and delivery. This data is used not only to determine goals, but also forms a key determinant as to where any new business is placed. The internal competition encourages all manufacturing plants within Eberspacher to continously improve plant productivity within group. A company is competitive if it is able to produce products that are either cheaper or better than those of other firms. Most of ESA customers are internal final assembly plants from Europe, USA, India and China. ESA therefore constantly have to ensure that they are competitive in all aspects of business, including productivity. In ESA, the overall productivity performance of the manufacturing plant is of utmost importance to ensure the ability to supply all the customers with cost competitive products, at the right time and with zero defects. Productivity in Eberspacher is used as a vital measurement to the sourcing decision for any new business awarded to the group. The main purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of productivity improvement initiatives at the Eberspacher Port Elizabeth Manufacturing Plant.
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- Date Issued: 2011