Essay About Environmental Management And Worker Participation

Environmental Management at Nummi
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Knowledge Content and Worker Participation in
Environmental Management at NUMMI
Sandra Rothenberg
Rochester Institute of Technology
 This paper looks at, within the context of lean production, how and in
what ways employees participate in environmental improvements. The paper uses data
from an automobile plant well known for its participative work structures, New
United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI), to look more closely at the dynamics of
worker participation in environmental management (i.e. management of pollution
and waste). Findings show that while workers possess important contextual
knowledge, the importance of process, intra-organizational and external knowledge
make the role of specialist staff (both internal and external to the environmental
function) critically important for environmental improvements. Additionally,
environmental improvements often required a combination of more than one
knowledge type. The paper discusses how the culture and management structure at
NUMMI and other lean plants encourage this combination. Implications for
environmental management, lean production, and future research on worker
participation are discussed.
INTRODUCTION
Several researchers have suggested that the skills and competencies needed to
succeed in the manufacturing arena are also those needed for successful management
of resource use, waste and pollution from manufacturing operations (i.e.
environmental management) (Florida, 1996; Hart and Ahuja, 1996; Porter and
van der Linde, 1995). In particular, researchers have suggested that just as in other
areas of manufacturing performance, worker participation is an important aspect
of superior environmental management (Bunge et al., 1995; Florida, 1996; May
and Flannery, 1995). Very little is known, however, about the detailed nature of
worker participation in environmental improvements.
Journal of Management Studies 40:7 November 2003
0022-2380
© Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2003. Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ,
UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.
Address for reprints: Sandra Rothenberg, Rochester Institute of Technology, 108 Lomb Memorial Drive,
Rochester, NY 14623, USA ([email protected]).
joms_400 7/4/2003 7:52 PM Page 1777
This paper looks at, within the context of lean production, how and in what ways
employees participate in environmental improvements, as well as the contextual
factors that facilitate this participation. The paper uses a case study of a high performing
plant well known for its participative work structures, New United Motor
Manufacturing (NUMMI), to look more closely at the dynamics of worker participation
in environmental management. Data from a selection of improvement
projects is analysed to understand the ways in which workers, line and otherwise,
can contribute to environmentally beneficial changes in the manufacturing process.
In this paper, I first discuss the existing literature on worker participation and
knowledge. I then outline my research method. The case of NUMMI is discussed
in three primary sections, an overview of the plant, general observations regarding
project participation, and then a more detailed analysis of how NUMMI facilitates
the knowledge combination needed for many of the projects. I conclude with
study limitations and questions for future research. Implications for theory on
worker participation, lean production, and environmental management are
discussed.
THOERETICAL BACKGROUND
Several research studies support the notion that employee participation can
improve manufacturing performance (Batt and Appelbaum, 1995; Dougouliagos,
1995; Glew et al., 1995; Kochan et al., 1991; Levine and Tyson, 1990; MacDuffie,
1991; McCaffrey et al., 1995; Osterman, 1994; Womack et al., 1990). There may,
however, be differences in performance among forms of participative work.
Different relationships, for example, have been found for on-line and off-line participation,
which distinguishes between workers who make suggestions to
management (off-line participation) and workers who make decisions with respect
to work tasks or quality control as part of daily job responsibilities (on-line participation)
(Batt and Appelbaum, 1995; Levine and Tyson, 1990).
These studies not only suggest that there may be differences in performance
among forms of participative work, but also that the organizational context in
which worker participation takes place is a factor critical to its success (Batt and
Appelbaum, 1995; Cotton et al., 1988; Kochan and McKersie, 1992; Leane and
Florkowski,