Relationship between Sociotechnical Joint Optimization and Perceived Department Performance in Manufacturing Organizations

Abstract

Over the last decade, organizational change has promoted flatter management structures. Organizations typically have less middle management through the integration of those tasks into upper management or lower management responsibilities. A sociotechnical systems framework was used to examine the impact of recent organizational design changes on managerial time allotment. Ninety-one transformation and downstream first-level managers participated in a research study examining time allotment to STS subsystems, level of joint optimization, value of time use, and performance in their departments. The study showed a significant relationship between the perceived level of joint optimization and perceived department performance.