An investigation of attitudes amongst production employees

This article is an in-depth investigation of attitudes held by production employees. In the first part, I characterize the types of attitudes that have been widely suggested to facilitate high performance within modern manufacturing. I then investigate the attitudes held by employees within a company endeavoring to enhance its competitiveness. Results suggest that many employees have a narrow and passive role orientation; beliefs that conflict with modern production strategies; and beliefs that are not conducive to a continuous improvement philosophy. In the final part, I suggest that such attitudes are not surprising in light of the organizational context. Strategies to promote the development of new attitudes are put forward. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.