Impact of flexible production philosophy and advanced manufacturing technology on organizations and jobs

Abstract

Abstract The impact of the introduction of advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) and the new flexible production philosophy on the organization of work, job contents, work demands, and employees' well‐being was studied in nine Finnish engineering companies. The AMT included in the study consisted of FMS, CNC machining centers, and robotized machining cells. The data were collected by interviews, job analyses, and questionnaires. The results support the view that AMT does not inevitably result in impoverishment of job contents and deskilling. The main trend in the firms studied is to create production systems based on a flexible and multiskilled workforce.