Abstract
This chapter has been triggered by the experience that the implementation of new information technology (IT) supporting planning, scheduling, and control – although being more sophisticated than earlier systems – does not necessarily result in better control. Also, the experience was made that the implementation of the same IT leads to different results in similar organisations. Against this background, we introduce a process model of control (Sect. 10.2). The model proposes a set of interrelated factors determining control. At its core it assumes that control results as a fit of control requirements and control behaviour. The former is determined by operational uncertainties the latter by control opportunities, control skills and control motivation. Since the implementation of a new IT can have an impact on all these factors it can lead to a misfit of control behaviour and control requirements and hence to low control – even if the new IT itself is more powerful than the old IT. Furthermore, we also discuss motivational influences these changes may have on human behaviour (Sect. 10.3). Finally we derive some practical dos and don’ts when implementing new IT (Sect. 10.4).
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Notes
- 1.
This definition of structural control differs from other definitions that can be found especially in industrial engineering (cf. e.g. Reveliotis et al. 1998). There, structural control is rather understood as control through the structures, e.g. by designing a manufacturing system in a way avoiding deadlocks or by designing regulations and procedures prescribing how a system should react on different disruptions. In contrast, structural control is understood here as control of structures.
- 2.
Please note: The psychological concept of individual control is different from the control concept in our model (cf. Fig. 10.9). Whereas Control in our model is the ability of a work system to reach business objectives, individual control refers to the ability to influence one’s own situation in order to reach personal objectives. These personal objectives may or may not correspond with the employer’s business goals. However, the ability to influence one’s own situation – or even the belief to have the ability to influence one’s own situation – has a major impact on motivation and hence on human behaviour. Since human behaviour is an important variable in our control model (cf. control behaviour in Fig. 10.9) the psychological concept of individual control (belief) has an impact on a work system’s ability to reach its objectives.
References
Ashby, W. R. (1957). An introduction to cybernetics. London: Chapman & Hall.
Benders, J., Hoeken, P., Batenburg, R., & Schouteten, R. (2006). First organise, then automate: A modern socio-technical view on ERP systems and teamworking. New Technology, Work and Employment, 21, 242–251.
Calisir, F., & Calisir, F. (2004). The relation of interface usability characteristics, perceived usefulness, and perceived ease of use to end-user satisfaction with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. Computers in Human Behavior, 20, 505–515.
Clegg, C. W., Ravden, S. J., Corbett, J. M., & Johnson, G. I. (1989). Allocation functions in computer-aided manufacturing: A review and a new method. Behaviour and Information Technology, 8, 175–190.
Daft, R. L., & Lengel, R. H. (1986). Organizational information requirements, Media richness and structural design. Management Science, 32, 554–571.
De Sitter, L. U., Den Hertog, J. F., & Dankbaar, B. (1997). From complex organizations with simple jobs to simple organizations with complex jobs. Human Relations, 50, 497–534.
Dery, K., Grant, D., Harley, B., & Wright, C. (2006). Work, organisation and Enterprise Resource Planning systems: An alternative research agenda. New Technology, Work and Employment, 21, 199–214.
Dörner, D. (1996). The logic of failure. New York: Metropolitan Books.
Dörner, D. (1999). Bauplan für eine Seele. Reinbek b.H.: Rowohlt.
Endsley, M. R. (1988). Design and evaluation for situation awareness enhancement. Human Factors Society 32nd Annual Meeting. Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors Society.
Gefen, D., & Ragowsky, A. (2005). A multi-level approach to measuring the benefits of an ERP system in manufacturing firms. Information Systems Management, 22, 18–25.
Grote, G. (2004). Uncertainty management at the core of system design. Annual Reviews in Control, 28, 267–274.
Hacker, W. (2005). Allgemeine Arbeitspsychologie. Bern: Huber.
Holland, C. P., & Light, B. (1999). A critical success factors model for ERP implementation. IEEE Software, 16, 30–36.
Jackson, S. E. (1989). Does job control control stress? In S. L. Sauter, J. J. Hurrell Jr., & C. L. Cooper (Eds.), Job control and worker health (pp. 25–53). Chichester: Wiley.
Jansson, A. (1994). Pathologies in dynamic decision making: Consequences or precursors of failure. Sprache und Kognition, 13, 160–173.
Koch, C., & Buhl, H. (2001). ERP-supported teamworking in danish manufacturing? New Technology, Work and Employment, 16, 164–177.
Krause, D. E., & Gebert, D. (2005). Effekte von interpersonalen Konflikten und Widerstand von Führungskräften auf die Implementierung von Verfahrensinnovationen. Zeitschrift für Personalforschung, 20, 102–120.
Kwasi, A.-G. (2007). Perceived usefulness, user involvement and behavioral intention: an empirical study of ERP implementation. Computers in Human Behavior, 23, 1232–1248.
Lazarus, R. S., & Launier, R. (1978). Stress related transactions between person and environment. In L. A. Pervin & M. Lewis (Eds.), Perspectives in interactional psychology. New York: Plenum.
Light, B., & Wagner, E. (2006). Integration in ERP environments: Rhetoric, realities and organisational possibilities. New Technology, Work and Employment, 21, 215–228.
Locke, J., & Lowe, A. (2007). A biography: Fabrications in the life of an ERP package. Organization Science, 14, 793–814.
McKay, K., & Wiers, V. C. S. (2004). Practical production control: A survival guide for planners and schedulers. Boca Raton, FL: J. Ross Publishing.
Milliken, F. J. (1987). Three types of uncertainty about the environment: state, effect and response uncertainty. Academy of Management Review, 12, 133–143.
Ngai, E. W. T., Law, C. C. C., & Wat, F. K. T. (2008). Examining the critical success factors in the adoption of enterprise resource planning. Computers in Industry, 59(6), 548–564.
Nicolaou, A., & Bhattacharya, S. (2008). Sustainability of ERPS performance outcomes: The role of post-implementation review quality. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 9(1), 43–60.
Parker, S., & Wall, T. D. (1998). Job and work design: organizing work to promote well-being and effectiveness. London: Sage Publications.
Petersen, J. (2004). Control situations in supervisory control. Cognition, Technology & Work, 6, 266–274.
Pew, R. W., & Mavor, A. S. (2007). Human-System integration in the system development process: A New Look. Washington, DC: National Academies Press.
Probst, G., Raub, S., & Romhardt, K. (2003). Wissen managen. Gabler: Wiesbaden.
Reveliotis, S. A., Lawley, M. A., & Ferreira, P. M. (1998). Structural control of large-scale flexibly automated manufacturing systems. In C. T. Leondes (Ed.), Computer aided and integrated manufacturing systems: Techniques and applications. London: Gordon & Breach.
Scherer, E. (1998). Shop floor control – a systems perspective. Berlin: Springer.
Seligman, M. E. P. (1975). Helplessness – on depression, development and death. San Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman.
Slomp, J., & Ruël, G. C. (2001). A socio-technical approach to the design of a production control system: towards controllable production units. In B. MacCarthy & J. Wilsson (Eds.), Human performance in Planning and Scheduling. London: Taylor & Francis.
Stedman, C. (1999). PeopleSoft speeds ERP installations, upgrades. Computerworld, 33, 78.
Thompson, J. D. (1967). Organizations in action. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Trunick, P. (1999). ERP: promise or pipedream. Transport and Distribution, 40, 1–39.
van Eijnatten, F. M. (1993). The paradigm that changed the workplace. Stockholm: Arbetslivscentrum/van Gorcum.
Von der Weth, R., & Spengler, R. (2007). Human factor resources in ERP-system implementation. In W. Karwowoski & S. Trzcielinski (Eds.), Value stream activities management. Madison: IEA.
von Wright, G. H. (1971). Explanation and understanding. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press.
Wäfler, T. (2001). Planning and scheduling in secondary work systems. In B. L. MacCarthy & J. R. Wilson (Eds.), Human performance in planning and scheduling. London: Taylor & Francis.
Wall, T. D., Cordery, J. L., & Clegg, C. W. (2002). Empowerment, performance, and operational uncertainty: a theoretical integration. Applied Psychology, 51, 146–169.
Wang, E. T. G., Shih, S.-P., Jiang, J. J., & Klein, G. (2008). The consistency among facilitating factors and ERP implementation success: A holistic view of fit. Journal of Systems and Software, 81(9), 1609–1621.
Yeh, T.-M., Yang, C.-C., & Lin, W.-T. (2007). Service quality and ERP implementation: A conceptual and empirical study of semiconductor-related industries in Taiwan. Computers in Industry, 58, 844–854.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Wäfler, T. et al. (2010). Human Control Capabilities. In: Fransoo, J., Waefler, T., Wilson, J. (eds) Behavioral Operations in Planning and Scheduling. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13382-4_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-13382-4_10
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-13381-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-13382-4
eBook Packages: Business and EconomicsBusiness and Management (R0)