Skip to main content

Warehouse workers reorganize their own work organization

  • Chapter
Working on the quality of working life

Part of the book series: International series on the quality of working life ((IQWL,volume 8))

  • 239 Accesses

Abstract

The present project of job design took place in a big, newly constructed warehouse and distributing centre of a Swiss supermarket chain What called forth the project was a change in the company’s philosophy: the relevant issues for the project were participation and design of meaningful jobs. This change was promoted especially by one member of the company’s top management team. For the purpose of demonstrating a concrete example of these issues, the implementation of semi-autonomous work groups in this warehouse and distributing centre was planned, and three researchers of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Zurich,were asked to take charge of it. The fact thatsocial scientists became involved in job design and changing work organization in a company was quite unusual in Switzerland.

This report is based mainly on a paper presented at the Sixth Congress of the International Association of Ergonomics in Washington (Alioth et al. 1976).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 39.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Alioth, Andreas, et al. (1976): `Semi-autonomous work groups in warehousing.’ Paper presented at the Sixth Congress of the International Association of Ergonomics, Washington D.C.

    Google Scholar 

  • Emery, F. E. and Emery, M. (1976): A participative approach to the democratization of the workplace. In: Emery. F. E. and Thorsrud, E.: Democracy at work. Martinus Nijhoff Social Sciences Division, Leiden.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gulowsen, J. (1972): A measure of work-group autonomy. In: Davis, L. E. and Taylor, J. C. (eds.): Design of jobs. Penguin, Harmondsworth.

    Google Scholar 

  • Qvale, T. U. (1976): A Norwegian strategy for democratization of industry. In: Human Relations 29, 5, 453–469.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Roggema, J. (1977): `On the implementation and diffusion of organizational change in the shipping industry.’ Paper presented at the conference on Human Factors in the Design and Operation of Ships, Gothenburg.

    Google Scholar 

  • Trist, E. C., et al. (1963): Organizational choice. Tavistock, London.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ulich, E. and Alioth, A. (1977): Einige Bemerkungen zur Arbeit in teilautonomen Gruppen [Some notes on work in semi-autonomous groups]. Fortschrittliche Betriebsführung 3, 159–162. R.E.F.A. Verband für Arbeitstudien und Betriebsorganisation, Darmstadt.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1979 International Council for the Quality of Working Life

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Alioth, A. (1979). Warehouse workers reorganize their own work organization. In: Working on the quality of working life. International series on the quality of working life, vol 8. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9230-6_8

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9230-6_8

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-009-9232-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-9230-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics