Employee competences in manufacturing companies – an expert survey

Labour 4.0: developing competences for smart production

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to determine how companies develop and acquire competences to capture the benefits of Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies. The authors argue that this is a fundamental and often overlooked prerequisite for industrial transformation.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors conduct a process study of 33 small- and medium-sized companies engaged in the transformation of a manufacturing industry from the different perspectives of manufacturers or manufacturing solution providers.

Findings

Key findings indicate a strong link between the specific competence development approach, the specific intricacies of the application domain and the process outcomes. On this basis, a competence development framework is proposed.

Research limitations/implications

The conclusions are drawn from a Danish population of companies in the manufacturing industry and are based on particular contingencies, such as low volume/high mix, high skill, low tech and high cost. However, the findings are believed to be applicable across different sets of contingencies where the need to combine legacy and emerging technologies is present, and where the human factor is central to leveraging technology beyond predefined supplier specifications.

Practical implications

In a time of extraordinary investments in the manufacturing of technologies in support of digital transformation, the development of strategic and operational competences to support these investments is lagging behind. This paper develops a conceptual outset for closing this gap.

Originality/value

The research is based on the fundamental argument that to efficiently apply new technology, a strategic approach to the acquisition of new knowledge and skills is required. The empirical research demonstrates that new skills and knowledge are often assumed to follow automatically from the use of new technologies. However, we demonstrate that this perspective in fact limits the ability to capture the potential benefits ascribed to I4.0 technologies. The authors propose that the competence strategy needs to be expansive and cover not only the technological competences but also the organizational- and individual-level competences. These results add to our understanding of how the digital transformation of manufacturing companies unfolds.

Diagnosis of the Maturity Level of Implementing Industry 4.0 Solutions in Selected Functional Areas of Management of Automotive Companies in Poland

The automotive sector is one of the key branches of the global economy. The automotive industry is also a very important sector of the Polish economy, as it generates over 8% of GDP and accounts for over 20% of the annual export value. Industry 4.0 and the effective use of modern technologies give a chance for its further dynamic development. The implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in the business processes of automotive companies should not only take place in the area of production or logistics, as it is usually indicated, but also in their other functional areas, such as quality management, human resources management, and innovation management. The purpose of the article is to diagnose the level of maturity in the implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions in selected management areas of automotive companies operating in Poland. Using a maturity assessment tool, the authors assessed the level of maturity in six selected functional areas of an enterprise, such as production and logistics management, quality management, human resources management, social and environmental responsibility, and product innovation management. The authors also formulated conclusions and recommendations concerning actions that should be taken by automotive companies in order to achieve higher maturity levels in the implementation of Industry 4.0 solutions.

Measurement and management of competences by enterprise social networking

Purpose

Literature describes the transformation process of employees’ individual competences into firm-specific competences as a great challenge in the performance management and management field. Recently, to favor the transformation of competences, some companies have adopted enterprise social networking (ESN). However, not enough studies support the understanding of its role in performance management and measurement and scant attention is given to the inclusion of competences in a holistic performance measurement and management system (PMMS). To help close this gap, the purpose of this paper is to develop knowledge on the role of ESN in measurement and management of competences to favor the development of a holistic PMMS.

Design/methodology/approach

The research adopts a multiple case study methodology using a qualitative meta-analysis. It investigates 32 multinational companies by case studies available in the scientific literature.

Findings

The results highlight the use of ESN as a relevant support for the development of a holistic PMMS based on a high maturity in performance measurement and a democratic and participative approach in performance management. ESN provides real-time data collection, analysis and reports that encourage a democratic and participative performance management. It facilitates relationships, knowledge sharing and favors a high maturity performance measurement.

Originality/value

The paper provides implications for theory, practice and society. First, the paper rationalizes the impact of ESN usage on performance measurement and management. Second, it offers new knowledge supporting practitioners in the development of holistic PMMS. Third, it highlights that ESN favors people in self-expression of own capacity, sharing artwork and knowledge on specific topics.

Investigating the Links of Interpersonal Trust in Telecommunications Companies

The purpose of this paper is to determine if there are links between interpersonal trust and competences, relations, and cooperation in Polish telecommunications companies. It examines which factors affect trust in co-workers and managers in sustainable organizations. The paper surveys a sample of 175 employees of telecommunications companies in Poland by means of a questionnaire. The results indicate that competences, relations, and cooperation are related to interpersonal trust. Regression analysis showed that competences and relations predict a significant variance in trust amongst co-workers. Additionally, cooperation contributes to prediction of trust in mangers. Given the importance of trust in sustainable organizations, better comprehension of which factors are related to team confidence provides valuable information for stakeholders and about how to improve interpersonal trust in sustainable organizations.