Effects of employees’ upward feedback in creating new opportunities to strengthen job performance

Abstract

Since the phase-out of the Multi-Fibre Agreement, the worldwide system of managed trade in apparel exports through the quota system, export-apparel manufacturers had to rethink their operations management strategies for survival and growth. One of such strategies adopted to improve the efficiency of apparel production is lean manufacturing. Lean manufacturing system relies heavily on employees’ capabilities for its effective implementation. Shop-floor employees play a key role in the process of minimisation of waste in the lean production context since they interact with the direct operational environment. They have more ownership of the production process and have capacity to make better improvement suggestions. Based on a sample of lean manufacturing system implemented manufacturing firms in Sri Lanka, the study investigated relationships between upward feedback, job performance and the age of lean manufacturing system. It was found that the age of the lean manufacturing system moderates the positive relationship between upward feedback and job performanceJn_such_a_way jthat longer the lean manufacturing system is in operation, higher will be its positive effect on the relationship between upward feedback and joS performance.