Title
Is Lean Mean? Workplace Transformation And Employee Well-being
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
9-1-2002
Publication Title
Work, Employment And Society
Department
Sociology & Anthropology
Abstract
This article examines the relationship between workplace transformation (or restructuring) and the well-being of employees, in terms of both psychological and physical health, at a large manufacturing corporation in the United States. While the previous literature has been largely divided over the issue - some researchers providing unqualified enthusiasm and others equally strong criticism of workplace changes - we found, after decomposing workplace transformation into five distinct dimensions of intensity, autonomy, team-work, skilling and computing, that certain components were harmful while others were beneficial to the employees. Furthermore, some effects of reengineering varied between managers and non-managers. Overall, increases in workplace intensity were associated with the largest increases in stress and symptoms of poor health. The data were produced by a longitudinal (two-wave) survey questionnaire of over 1000 employees and were analyzed by mean of a structural equations model.
Volume
16
Issue
3
pp.
389-413
ISSN
0950-0170
Provider Link
Citation
Anderson-Connolly, Richard, Leon Grunberg, Edward S. Greenberg, and Sarah Moore. 2002. "Is lean mean? Workplace transformation and employee well-being." Work, Employment And Society 16(3): 389-413.