Environmental Management at Nummi

Knowledge Content and Worker Participation in

Environmental Management at NUMMI

Sandra Rothenberg

Rochester Institute of Technology

 This paper looks at, within the context of lean production, how and in

what ways employees participate in environmental improvements. The paper uses data

from an automobile plant well known for its participative work structures, New

United Motor Manufacturing (NUMMI), to look more closely at the dynamics of

worker participation in environmental management (i.e. management of pollution

and waste). Findings show that while workers possess important contextual

knowledge, the importance of process, intra-organizational and external knowledge

make the role of specialist staff (both internal and external to the environmental

function) critically important for environmental improvements. Additionally,

environmental improvements often required a combination of more than one

knowledge type. The paper discusses how the culture and management structure at

NUMMI and other lean plants encourage this combination. Implications for

environmental management, lean production, and future research on worker

participation are discussed.

INTRODUCTION

Several researchers have suggested that the skills and competencies needed to

succeed in the manufacturing arena are also those needed for successful management

of resource use, waste and pollution from manufacturing operations (i.e.

environmental management) (Florida, 1996; Hart and Ahuja, 1996; Porter and

van der Linde, 1995). In particular, researchers have suggested that just as in other

areas of manufacturing performance, worker participation is an important aspect

of superior environmental management (Bunge et al., 1995; Florida, 1996; May

and Flannery, 1995). Very little is known, however, about the detailed nature of

worker participation in environmental improvements.

Journal of Management Studies 40:7 November 2003

0022-2380

© Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2003. Published by Blackwell Publishing, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ,

UK and 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.

Address for reprints: Sandra Rothenberg, Rochester Institute of Technology, 108 Lomb Memorial Drive,

Rochester, NY 14623, USA (slrbbu@rit.edu).

joms_400 7/4/2003 7:52 PM Page 1777

This paper looks at, within the context of lean production, how and in what ways

employees participate in environmental improvements, as well as the contextual

factors that facilitate this participation. The paper uses a case study of a high performing

plant well known for its participative work structures, New United Motor

Manufacturing (NUMMI), to look more closely at the dynamics of worker participation

in environmental management. Data from a selection of improvement

projects is analysed to understand the ways in which workers, line and otherwise,

can contribute to environmentally beneficial changes in the manufacturing process.

In this paper, I first discuss the existing literature on worker participation and

knowledge. I then outline my research method. The case of NUMMI is discussed

in three primary sections, an overview of the plant, general observations regarding

project participation, and then a more detailed analysis of how NUMMI facilitates

the knowledge combination needed for many of the projects. I conclude with

study limitations and questions for future research. Implications for theory on

worker participation, lean production, and environmental management are

discussed.

THOERETICAL BACKGROUND

Several research studies support the notion that employee participation can

improve manufacturing performance (Batt and Appelbaum, 1995; Dougouliagos,

1995; Glew et al., 1995; Kochan et al., 1991; Levine and Tyson, 1990; MacDuffie,

1991; McCaffrey et al., 1995; Osterman, 1994; Womack et al., 1990). There may,

however, be differences in performance among forms of participative work.

Different relationships, for example, have been found for on-line and off-line participation,

which distinguishes between workers who make suggestions to

management (off-line participation) and workers who make decisions with respect

to work tasks or quality control as part of daily job responsibilities (on-line participation)

(Batt and Appelbaum, 1995; Levine and Tyson, 1990).

These studies not only suggest that there may be differences in performance

among forms of participative work, but also that the organizational context in

which worker participation takes place is a factor critical to its success (Batt and

Appelbaum, 1995; Cotton et al., 1988; Kochan and McKersie, 1992; Leane and

Florkowski,