Technology and Organization in Manufacturing
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In: Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 21, No. 1, 01.03.1976, p. 20-40.
Research output: Journal contributions › Journal articles › Research
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Technology and Organization in Manufacturing
AU - McKinley, William
AU - Blau, Peter M.
AU - Falbe, Cecilia McHugh
AU - Tracy, Phelps K.
PY - 1976/3/1
Y1 - 1976/3/1
N2 - Using data from a study of 110 New Jersey manufacturing concerns, relationships are examined between plant technology and four dimensions of internal structure: differentiation, the size of various personnel components, supervisory spans of control, and decentralization of decision-making authority. For linear associations, Woodward's notion of a broad "technological imperative" is rejected, and the analysis verifies the general findings of the Aston studies. However, the Aston group's hypothesis of an interaction effect between size, production technology, and administrative structure is not supported, while strong curvilinear relationships, independent of size, are observed between production process type and many of the structural measures. Automation of administrative support functions through the use of computers exerts numerous influences on the organization of work which parallel those of highly mechanized "process" technologies, and it is postulated that these trends will continue with increasing automation of the manufacturing operation itself.
AB - Using data from a study of 110 New Jersey manufacturing concerns, relationships are examined between plant technology and four dimensions of internal structure: differentiation, the size of various personnel components, supervisory spans of control, and decentralization of decision-making authority. For linear associations, Woodward's notion of a broad "technological imperative" is rejected, and the analysis verifies the general findings of the Aston studies. However, the Aston group's hypothesis of an interaction effect between size, production technology, and administrative structure is not supported, while strong curvilinear relationships, independent of size, are observed between production process type and many of the structural measures. Automation of administrative support functions through the use of computers exerts numerous influences on the organization of work which parallel those of highly mechanized "process" technologies, and it is postulated that these trends will continue with increasing automation of the manufacturing operation itself.
KW - Management studies
KW - Production automation
KW - Automatic controll
KW - Fatories
KW - Production technology
KW - Production management
KW - Workforce
KW - Human resource
KW - Computer technology
UR - https://www.mendeley.com/catalogue/baf8dbaa-621a-306a-8f6a-789ef6d2ae0c/
U2 - 10.2307/2391876
DO - 10.2307/2391876
M3 - Journal articles
VL - 21
SP - 20
EP - 40
JO - Administrative Science Quarterly
JF - Administrative Science Quarterly
SN - 0001-8392
IS - 1
ER -