Intense competitive pressures have led to compressed product life cycles and frequent introduction of new products. This creates demand volatility and a consequent pressure on manufacturing to meet this variable demand. In this paper we model the manpower planning issues for a computer manufacturer during the product introduction phase when a quick ramp-up of production to meet rapidly increasing demand is a key requirement. A mix of permanent and contingent workers with different skill sets is considered. Some important issues addressed in this research are (a) how to assign workers with different skills to maximize production (b) what is the induction rate of contingent workers to achieve the desired ramp-up and (c) what are the key decision factors that impact manufacturing performance An LP model is proposed to minimize overall costs subject to complex scheduling, skills, and learning rate requirements. Our analysis indicates that cost of induction of contingent workers, overtime cost premium, and the amount of overtime have significant impact on performance. The findings of the study will be useful to managers in planning and allocation of workers of different skills to various manufacturing processes and to determine the optimal number of contingent workers to induct. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

Ökade flexibla anställningsformer har inneburit ett ökat intresse för det psykologiska kontraktet. Psykologiska kontrakt har visats ha en avgörande funktion i anställningsrelationen. Forskning gällande konsulters psykologiska kontrakt och specifikt ingenjörer är begränsad. Studien syftar därför till att undersöka ingenjörskonsulters upplevda innehåll i deras psykologiska kontrakt med konsult- respektive kundföretag. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med sju konsulter från fyra konsultföretag och intervjuerna analyserades induktivt och tematiskt. Resultatet identifierade 4 centrala teman: kundföretagets förväntningar på konsulten, konsultens förväntningar på kundföretaget, konsultföretagets förväntningar på konsulten samt konsultens förväntningar på konsultföretaget. Vidare har 14 kategorier inordnats under respektive tema. Resultaten som bidrar med nya kunskaper avseende på innehållet i det triangulära psykologiska kontraktet utifrån ingenjörskonsulters perspektiv, diskuteras i relation till tidigare forskning om psykologiska kontrakt.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka skillnader i arbetsmotivation enligt Social Determination Theory beroende på om de anställda hade en direktanställning via företaget som studien genomfördes på eller om de var anställda via bemanningsföretag. Studien undersökte även huruvida arbetsmotivation kunde predicera psykiskt välbefinnande. Urvalet bestod av industriarbetare där den ena gruppen bestod av direktanställda och den andra av bemanningspersonal. Data samlades in genom en enkätundersökning i pappersform som utgick från Basic need satisfaction at work scale för arbetsmotivation och General health questionnaire 12 som mätte psykiskt välbefinnande. Totalt svarade 48 personer på enkäten. Resultatet visade ingen signifikant skillnad överlag mellan grupperna i arbetsmotivation. Däremot gick det att urskilja en skillnad i en av delskalorna hos grupperna där bemanningspersonal uppvisade lägre nivå av autonomi. Studien visade även att arbetsmotivation kunde predicera psykiskt välbefinnande. / The aim of the study was to examine differences in work motivation according to Social Determination Theory depending on whether the employees had a direct employment through the company where the study was conducted or if they were employed through a staffing agency (worked as contingent workers). The study also aimed to examine whether work motivation could predict psychological well-being. The population consisted of industrial workers where one groups consisted of permanent employees and the other group consisted of contingent workers from a staffing company. Data were collected through a questionnaire measured with Basic need satisfaction at work scale for work motivation and General health questionnaire 12 for psychological well-being. The study showed no significant difference between the two groups in general. Separate analyses of the three subscales in work motivation showed that direct employees had higher levels of autonomy than contingent workers. The study also showed that work motivation predicts psychological well-being.

The aim of this dissertation was (1) to examine the work choice motivation for accepting the contingent employment in relation to various outcomes (job satisfaction, job involvement, and psychological contract) and the effect on work performance (obedience, and work expectation), and (2) to test whether workers¡¦ interaction may assist in explaining difference between the various outcome and the effect on work performance. The results of this study challenged earlier assumptions on the importance of volition in temporary work research. Analyses were based on a sample of 415 contingent workers from various organizations and types of the contingent employment. The most striking findings were that work choice motivation did not consistently associate with favorable outcomes and the effect on work performance, and that the relationship between work choice motivations related to work performance outcomes were non-significant. By way of contrast, self-fulfilling motive has positively effects on job satisfaction and job involvement, work-life balance motive and self-constrain motive have positive effect on psychological contract, and work control motive has negative effect on job involvement, and psychological contract. Also, this dissertation established that workers¡¦ interaction may have potential to improve the variations on predictions. The result showed that task-related interaction between standard and contingent workers has positive effect on job satisfaction, job involvement, work expectation, and obedience. Moreover, the non-task related interaction has negative effect on obedience. The interaction effects of work choice motivation and workers¡¦ interaction on job attitudes and work performance were also examined in this study. The result shows that the interaction between work-life balance motive and non-task related interaction has positive effect on psychological contract. Moreover, the interaction effect of self-constrain motive and non-task related interaction also has positive effect on psychological contract. The implications were also discussed in this study.

This doctoral thesis addresses how mobile project workers; technical consultants working in projects, experience and deal with project-based work. The thesis consists of a compilation of five papers and an extended summary. It is based on three qualitative studies including methods like interviews, diaries, and observations. The thesis adopts and develops the conceptual lens of liminality. The results of this thesis show that mobile project workers use four different practices to deal with liminality at work. Furthermore, the thesis develops the framework of “liminality competence,” indicating that some mobile project workers are better at utilizing their liminal positions than others. The thesis also studies how liminality competence is developed and how formal training programs influence the liminal position for mobile project workers. / I denna avhandling studeras hur mobila projektarbetare, i detta fall teknikkonsulter som utför arbete i kundprojekt, upplever och hanterar projektbaserat arbete. Avhandlingen presenterar tre kvalitativa studier som bygger på intervjuer, dagboksanteckningar och deltagande observationer. Avhandlingen består av fem artiklar och en kappa. För denna studie används begreppet liminalitet som fångar den mobilitet och organisatoriska tvetydighet som föreligger i mobila projektarbetares arbetssituation. Avhandlingen utvecklar liminalitetsbegreppet ytterligare relaterat till liminella positioner i arbetslivet. Analysen identifierar fyra liminalitetspraktiker som mobila projektarbetare använder för att hantera sin arbetssituation. Dessutom utvecklas begreppet liminalitetskompetens. Detta begrepp används för att förstå hur mobila projektarbetare hanterar sin liminella arbetssituation och vilka skillnader som finns vad gäller förmågan att hantera liminalitet i arbetet. Avhandlingen undersöker också hur sådan kompetens utvecklas och hur formella lärandeprogram kan påverka liminalitetssituationen och liminalitetskompetensen hos mobila projektmedarbetare.

In the late 1990s, many Western governments introduced policy programs to make information and communication technology (ICT) accessible to all. More than a decade later, however, such universal access is far from a reality. Between 2002 and 2005, in response to a request from a group of contingent workers who felt excluded from effective access to ICT training, a university research group on contingency conducted an applied research project in the form of a series of basic ICT courses. This qualitative dissertation both critically examines the training process and treats it as a case study for exploring broader issues of exclusion and resistance in the context of access to ICT. Specifically, it explores: (1) the symptoms of exclusion as they relate to ICT, social capital, and the community; (2) possibilities for resistance that can alleviate the conditions of exclusion; (3) the assumptions, theories, knowledge construction, policy methods, and processes that underlie the symptoms of exclusion; and (4) alternative assumptions, strategies, and activities that offer possibilities for resistive action. The case study provided an environment in which exclusionary and resistive experiences with access to ICT and training were examined from the perspective of excluded contingent workers, as supported by a university research group. A key finding is that generational behaviour in the domestic sphere erects barriers that contribute to the silencing and exclusion of immigrant contingent women; these barriers then reinforce similar patterns of exclusion in institutionalized ICT training. Another major finding is the need for alleviating the barrier that limited English skills create for ICT learning; addressing this issue must be part of any recommendations for curricular change. Guided throughout by a critical approach that focuses on the concept of ruling relations, this dissertation marshals critical knowledge gained from below in support of change by policymakers, educators, and community practitioners.

In the late 1990s, many Western governments introduced policy programs to make information and communication technology (ICT) accessible to all. More than a decade later, however, such universal access is far from a reality. Between 2002 and 2005, in response to a request from a group of contingent workers who felt excluded from effective access to ICT training, a university research group on contingency conducted an applied research project in the form of a series of basic ICT courses. This qualitative dissertation both critically examines the training process and treats it as a case study for exploring broader issues of exclusion and resistance in the context of access to ICT. Specifically, it explores: (1) the symptoms of exclusion as they relate to ICT, social capital, and the community; (2) possibilities for resistance that can alleviate the conditions of exclusion; (3) the assumptions, theories, knowledge construction, policy methods, and processes that underlie the symptoms of exclusion; and (4) alternative assumptions, strategies, and activities that offer possibilities for resistive action. The case study provided an environment in which exclusionary and resistive experiences with access to ICT and training were examined from the perspective of excluded contingent workers, as supported by a university research group. A key finding is that generational behaviour in the domestic sphere erects barriers that contribute to the silencing and exclusion of immigrant contingent women; these barriers then reinforce similar patterns of exclusion in institutionalized ICT training. Another major finding is the need for alleviating the barrier that limited English skills create for ICT learning; addressing this issue must be part of any recommendations for curricular change. Guided throughout by a critical approach that focuses on the concept of ruling relations, this dissertation marshals critical knowledge gained from below in support of change by policymakers, educators, and community practitioners.