Principles for the design of jobs and organizations have evolved from both theory and experiences in the application of sociotechnical and “quality of work life” concepts. In parallel with this development, the Japanese have put in place some organizations that perform well and have quite distinctive features from those generally seen in the U.S. This paper examines some of the Japanese designs in the context of the “Western” sociotechnical theory.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
CookJames, “We Started from Ground Zero”, Forbes, March 12, 1984, 98–106.
2.
ChernsA.B.Can behavioral science help design organizations?, Org. Dynamics, 1977.
3.
DavisL.E.Organization Design, Ch. 2.1 in Handbook of Ind. Engr., Salvendy, Edit., McGraw-Hill, 1982.
4.
DavisL.E.TaylorJ.C.Design of Jobs, 2nd Edit., Goodyear, 1979.
5.
DavisL.E.SullivanC.S.A labour-management contract and quality of working life, J. Occupational Behaviour, 1980.
6.
DavisL.E.WackerJ.G.Job design, Ch. 2.5 in Handbook of Ind. Engr, Salvendy, Edit., McGraw-Hill, 1982.
7.
General Foods Topeka: Ten Years Young, QWL and the 80's, Toronto, Sept., 1981.
8.
GuestR.H.Quality of work life - Learning from Tarrytown, Harvard Business Review, July/Aug., 1979.
9.
GustavsonP.TaylorJ.C.Socio-technical Design and New Forms of Work Organization: Integrated Circuit Fabrication, Int. Labour Office, Dec. 1981.
10.
GyllenhammerP.G.People at Work, Addison-Wesley, 1977.
11.
HatvanyNinaPucikVladimir, “An Integrated Management System: Lessons from the Japanese Experience”, Academy of Management Review, 6, 1981, 469–480.
12.
HayesR.L.“Why Japanese Factories Work”, Harvard Business Review, July/Aug., 1981, 57–66.
13.
KondoYoshio, Company-wide Quality Control in Japanese Industries and Quality of Working Life, International Conference on the Quality of Working Life, Toronto, 1981.
14.
NadlerG.The Planning and Design Process, Wiley, 1981.
15.
SchonbergerR.J.Japanese Manufacturing Techniques: Nine Hidden Lessons in Simplicity, New York: The Free Press, 1982.
16.
TristE.L.The environment and system-response capability, Futures, April, 1980, 113–127.
