Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Teamwork and Morality: Comparing Lean Production and Sociotechnology

  • Published:
Journal of Business Ethics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this article two important organizational concepts – lean production and sociotechnical systems design – are evaluated on their reflective capacity and their (moral) outcomes. At least in theory both concepts entail a promise of overcoming some of the irreflexive pitfalls of rational organization. As will be shown, both concepts do have shortcomings too. It is argued that the meaning and value of the concepts is related to the context in which the systems are implemented.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ackerman, R.: 1975, The Social Challenge to Business (Harvard University Press).

  • Adler, P, and R. E. Cole: 1993, 'Designed for Learning: A Tale of Two Autoplants', Sloan Management Review (Spring), 85–94.

  • Adler, P, and R. E. Cole: 1994, 'Rejoinder', Sloan Management Review (Winter), 45–49.

  • Adler, R. and W. J. Bigoness: 1992, 'Contemporary Ethical Issues in Labor-Management Relations', Journal of Business Ethics 11, 351–360.

    Google Scholar 

  • Alders, B.: 1993, 'Lean Production. Is er sprake van een Westeuropees perspectief?', M&O 1

  • Argyris, C. and D. Schön: 1978, Organizational Learning (Addison Wesley, Reading).

    Google Scholar 

  • Ashby, W. R.: 1969, 'Self-Regulation and Requisite Variety', in F. Emery (ed.), Systems Thinking (Penguin Books, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Barker, J. R.: 1993, “Tightening the Iron Cage: Concertive Control in Self-Managing Teams”, Administrative Science Quarterly 38, 408–437.

    Google Scholar 

  • Benders, J. and M. van Hooft: 1995, 'Volvo-Uddevalla: mislukt of miskend?', Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken 11, 110–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Berggren, C.: 1994, 'NUMMI vs. Uddevalla', Sloan Management Review (Winter), 37–45.

  • Berggren, C.: 1993, Alternatives to Lean Production: Work Organization in the Swedish Auto Industry (Ithaca, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Bovens, M. A. P.: 1990, Verantwoordelijkheid en organisatie (Tjeenk Willink, Zwolle).

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohen, H.: 1965, The Demonics of Bureaucracy (Iowa State Univerity Press, Ames, Iowa).

    Google Scholar 

  • Dankbaar, B.: 1993, Economic Crisis and Institutional Change (RUL, Maastricht).

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis, L. E. and A. B. Cherns: 1975, The Quality of Working Life (Free Press, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Drucker, P.: 1988, 'The Coming of The New Organizations', Harvard Business Review ( Jan-Feb), 45–53.

  • Eccles, R. G. and N. Nohria: 1992, Beyond the Hype: Rediscovering the Essence of Management (HBS Press, Cambridge MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, F.: 1967, 'The Next Thirty Years: Concepts, Methods, and Anticipations', Human Relations 20, 199–237.

    Google Scholar 

  • Espejo, R.: 1994, 'What is Systemic Thinking', System Dynamics Review 10, 199–212.

    Google Scholar 

  • Freyssenet, M.: 1998, 'Reflective Production: An Alternative to Mass Production and Lean Production', Economic and Industrial Democracy 19, 91–117.

    Google Scholar 

  • Friedman, M.: 1970, 'The Social Responsibility of Business is to Increase Its Profits', The New York Times Sunday Magazine (September 13).

  • Fukuyama, F.: 1995, Trust. The Social Virtues and the Creation of Prosperity (Penguin, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Furda, J. and T. Meijman: 1992, 'Druk en dreiging, sturing of stress', in J. A. M. Winnubsten M. J. Schabracq (red.), Handboek arbeids-en gezondheidspsychologie (Lemma, Utrecht), pp. 127–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, M. and J. Champy: 1993, Reengineering the Corporation (Harper Collins, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Handy, C.: 1990, The Age of Unreason (Harvard Business School Press, Cambridge MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Herbst, P. G.: 1974, Socio-technical Design: Strategies in Multidisciplinary Research (Tavistock Publications, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Hull, F. and K. Azumi: 1988, 'Technology and Participation in Japanese Factories', Work and Occupations 15(4), 423–448.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hummels, H.: October 1998, 'Organizing Ethics: A Stakeholder Debate', Journal of Business Ethics 17(13), 1403–1419.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jackall, R.: 1988, Moral Mazes (Oxford University Press, Oxford).

    Google Scholar 

  • Janis, I. L.: 1982, Groupthink, Second Edition (Houghton Mifflin, Boston MA).

    Google Scholar 

  • Jönsson, B.: 1982, 'The Quality of Working Life: The Volvo Experience', Journal for Business Ethics 1, 119–126.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kanter, R. Moss: 1989, When Giants Learn to Dance (Simon and Schuster, New York).

    Google Scholar 

  • Klaveren, M. van and T. Tom: 1995, 'All-round groepswerk: doen of doen alsof?', Tijdschrift voor Arbeidsvraagstukken 11(1), 21–33.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuipers, H.: 1989, 'Zelforganisatie als ontwerpprincipe', Gedrag en Organisatie 2, 199–221.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuipers, H. and P. van Amelsvoort: 1990, Slagvaardig Organiseren (Kluwer, Deventer).

    Google Scholar 

  • Merton, R. K.: 1940, 'Bureaucratic Structure and Personality', Social Forces 17, 560–568.

    Google Scholar 

  • McKendall, M.: 1993, 'The Tyranny of Change: Organizational Development Revisited', Journal of Business Ethics 12, 93–104.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson, N.: 1994, 'Ethics in Organizations', Journal of Business Ethics 13, 581–596.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson, N.: 1995, 'The Moral Order of the Organization', Organization 2, 339–344.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pot, F. D.: 1993, Nieuwe produktieconcepten en kwaliteit van de arbeid (RL, Leiden).

    Google Scholar 

  • Rehder, R. R.: 1992, 'Building Cars as if People Mattered: The Japanese Lean System vs. Volvo's Uddevalla System', The Columbia Journal of World Business (Summer), 56–70.

  • Sinclair, A.: 1993, 'Approaches to Organisational Culture and Ethics', Journal of Business Ethics 12, 63–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sitter, L. U. de: 1981, Op Weg naar Nieuwe Kantoren en Fabrieken (Kluwer, Deventer).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sitter, L. U. de: 1994, Synergetisch Produceren (Van Gorcum, Assen).

    Google Scholar 

  • Skorstad, E.: 1994, 'Lean Production, Conditions of Work and Worker Commitment', Economic and Industrial Democracy 15, 429–455.

    Google Scholar 

  • Solomon, R.: 1992, Ethics and Excellence (Oxford University Press, Oxford).

    Google Scholar 

  • Townley, B.: 1994, Reframing Human Resource Management (Sage, London).

    Google Scholar 

  • Trist, E.: 1981, The Evolution of Sociotechnical Systems, Occasional paper No. 2 (Quality of Working Life Centre, Toronto).

    Google Scholar 

  • Trist, E. and K. W. Bamforth: 1951, 'Some Social and Psychological Consequences of the Longwall Method of Coal-Getting', Human Relations 4(1), 6–24.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tubbs, W.: 1993, 'Karoushi: Stress-Death and the Meaning of Work', Journal of Business Ethics 12, 869–877.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waters, J. A.: 1978, 'Catch 20.5: Corporate Morality as an Organizational Phenomenon', Organizational Dynamics (Spring), 3–19.

  • Weick, K.: 1979, The Social Psychology of Organizing (Addison Wesley, Reading MA).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. European Institute of Business Ethics, Nyenrode University, Straatweg 25, 3621 BG, Breukelen, The Netherlands

    Harry Hummels & Jan de Leede

Authors
  1. Harry Hummels
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jan de Leede
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Hummels, H., de Leede, J. Teamwork and Morality: Comparing Lean Production and Sociotechnology. Journal of Business Ethics 26, 75–88 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006242516664

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1006242516664

Search

Navigation