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Assessment of Stress Effects on Cognitive Flexibility using an Operant Strategy Shifting Paradigm
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Administrative rationality and coping strategies in shift work
Renato Rocha Lieber1, Rodrigo Neiva Kvieska, Maurício Cesar Delamaro
1Department of Industrial Engineering, University Estadual Paulista, Av Dr Ariberto Pereira da Cunha 333, Guaratinguetá, SP, Brazil. lieber@feg.unesp.br
Work (Reading, Mass.)
|February 10, 2012
Summary
Shift work management in Brazil involved distributing employee expertise across fixed shifts to equalize productivity. Workers subtly resisted by transferring unfinished tasks, revealing a cultural coping mechanism in shift work arrangements.
Area of Science:
- Industrial Engineering
- Organizational Behavior
- Sociology of Work
Background:
- Shift work (SW) poses challenges to worker health and productivity, particularly night shifts leading to fatigue.
- Brazilian legislation aims to reduce night and rotating shifts, prompting companies to seek productivity solutions.
- Cost reduction pressures drive innovation in shift work management strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate management-driven changes in a Brazilian glass factory to enhance productivity under shift work conditions.
- To analyze the outcomes of a novel management approach focused on expertise distribution and shift arrangement.
Main Methods:
- Case study of a large glass factory in Brazil implementing new shift work management.
- Analysis of productivity data across three fixed shifts.
- On-site examination of work practices and worker behaviors.
Main Results:
- Management reorganized work into 12 groups serving three fixed shifts, distributing employee expertise.
- No statistically significant productivity differences were observed among the shifts.
- Workers engaged in task-transferring behaviors to meet performance targets, indicating a coping strategy.
Conclusions:
- The management strategy of distributing expertise did not yield significant productivity gains.
- Worker coping mechanisms, influenced by Brazilian cultural traits like 'resistance without conflict,' impacted the effectiveness of management changes.
- Understanding cultural nuances is crucial for effective shift work management and productivity enhancement.
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