Managing Operations in the 1990s

Abstract

The greatest challenge for operations management in the 1990s is the management of the human resource. Advanced manufacturing technology dictates a style and approach to management unlike most firms′ previous experience. There is a requirement to move from a control to a commitment orientation in the work‐place. The authority and power structures of functional organisations are no longer suitable for advanced manufacturing technology and operations managers will have to manage people on a far more equal basis than hitherto. A primary manufacturing unit will employ fewer and fewer people directly, but the dependence of the organisation on each and every one of those employees will increase dramatically.

Citation

Goodridge, M. (1990), "Managing Operations in the 1990s", International Journal of Manpower, Vol. 11 No. 5, pp. 22-26. https://doi.org/10.1108/EUM0000000000878