Table 3 Gioia methodology conceptual...

Table 3

Gioia methodology conceptual mapping

First-order concepts	Second-order themes	Aggregate dimensions
(1) Safety and technical rules: everyone must wear personal safety devices, walking in safe areas and lanes, checking personal PSD, and other safety and technical rules	i. Plant Rules	Benchmarking factors
(2) Rules of conduct and behavior: the plant is characterized by a strong commitment for obeying rules of conduct, such as non-smoking in the workplace, wearing uniforms, and time regulations	i. Plant Rules
(3) Relevance of WCM technical pillars: technical WCM pillars are developed, some of them (i.e. workplace organization and cost deployment) vividly emerging	ii. WCM Standards
(4) Recurrence of managerial pillars: there is a recurrent and systematic emphasis on managerial WCM pillars: among them, “management commitment” and “motivation of the operators” are stressed
(5) WCM level certification: the organization is committed to reaching the highest level of the WCM certification (gold WCM plant attained in 2013)
(6) Technical tools and Toyota-like methods: the plant is characterized by the pervasive introduction and ongoing refinement of technical tools such as Andon, poka-yoke devices, assembly cards, 5 W tools
(7) Productivity and quantity goals: traditional performance indicators such as volume/quantity per period or factor productivity are still relevant and bear strong interdependencies with other classes of objectives	iii. Performance and quality goals
(8) Quality goals: at all organizational levels, people emphasize the importance of attaining quality goals, specifically those attached to formal KPIs (e.g. quick kaizen)
(9) Safety goals: avoiding in-plant injuries is one fundamental requirement of WCM and this is communicated both internally and externally (signboard outside the plant)
(10) Co-design of the workplace: the design of the workplace has been shared by experts and operators, who are directly involved in the (re-)design of their workstations	iv. Workplace redesign (WPR)	Improvement factors
(11) Focus on ergonomics: the continuous redesign of the workplace is strongly justified by the need for enhancing the workers' psychophysical wellbeing
(12) Ongoing efforts for innovative search: there is a continuous attention to testing and introducing innovations aimed at redesigning the workplace
(13) Formal, bottom-up practices for WPR management: the bottom-up development of formal practices aims at facilitating WPR management (e.g.: line bookkeeping of errors by type/operator: can help redesign a problematic practice/better train operators)
(14) Central role of team leaders: team leaders are the focal actors; their role is particularly relevant in designing the WPR, in quality control, and in the management of team structure (through hirings) and dynamics	v. Line positions and roles
(15) Supervisors and other technical roles: the compression of the hierarchical structure entails a larger span of control for supervisors: they tend to manage more workers with a widening of the responsibilities
(16) Plant manager and HR manager: they are readily available, can be reached within one hour, and can immediately mandate new regulations
(17) Small plant: a small plant is introduced for purposes of training and job redesign. The small plant is located on-site (normally located remotely, only used for studying ergonomics and the design of the working stations)	vi. Small plant design and refinement
(18) The small plant as a compass: all workers learn in the small plant. It helps them make sense of their contribution to the whole process	vi. Small plant design and refinement
(19) Mistake management process: the work process is designed to allow for an early detection of mistakes, through procedures, incentive systems (no punishment for errors) and tools (HERCA)	vii. Problem solving approach
(20) Obsessive focus on continuous improvement: it occurs through promoting improvement, maintaining attention, no punishment, and understanding of individual issues
(21) Innovations aimed at removing elements that could hamper problem solving: initiatives are aimed at structurally reducing the scope for mistakes and improving the potential of problem solving (e.g. attention management)
(22) Daily Briefing (DB): DB was introduced as a key tool for institutionalizing the outcomes of the PDCA-based improvement process. It consists of meetings where shop floor employees propose changes to the current work practices. If successful, it can lead to plant-wide adoptions of proposals	viii. Daily Briefing (DB)	Catalyzing forces
(23) Emotional factors and incentives of DB: showing a non-conformity and its solution in front of the whole plant implies a relevant emotional involvement and represents a strong incentive for improvement	viii. Daily Briefing (DB)
(24) High level of education: a very high share of line workers have attained a high level of formal education at bachelor's or master's degree (MS) levels	ix. Selection and training
(25) Strong emphasis on soft skills and competences: line selection and career progression is correlated with soft skills such as listening, problem solving abilities, and empowerment, rather than technical abilities or seniority	ix. Selection and training
(26) Offices directly in the plant: management offices and facilities are located close to the assembly line, such that problems and issues are addressed immediately, with minimal recourse to hierarchy	x. Layout design
(27) Workstation layout aimed at ergonomics: from the onset, the design of the layout privileged ergonomics: this made it possible to preserve the well-being and attention of workers, so they could focus on improvement
(28) Suppliers have direct access to internal facilities: supply tables and other solutions allow to locate suppliers as close as possible to the assembly line, where supply issues may emerge, in order to address them quickly
(29) Listening: management of internal vertical communication has decisively changed towards a greater ability to listen actively and to take into account bottom-up signals	xi. Communication
(30) Personal incentives for sharing information: horizontal communication is facilitated; workers are encouraged to share knowledge with peers, in the belief that it enables a better work environment	xi. Communication
(31) Hierarchy simplification: an important organizational redesign has produced two changes in structure: a hierarchical level has been removed and teams have been downsized	xii. Organizational restructuring	Triggering forces
(32) Initial workplace redesign: the workplace has undergone a profound restructuring, by using technology-based tools for the division of labor and the redesign of job description and rotation	xii. Organizational restructuring
(33) Need for an abrupt discontinuity: the productive context was not reformable through incremental change, but needed a strong signal of discontinuity aimed at radical change	xiii. Initial workshop
(34) Overall recognition of a memorable event: the initial workshop is widely recognized, at all levels, as a milestone in the process of change management and initiating a new course of action regarding the plant
(35) Change workers engagement: in the workshop, workers were encouraged to set and discuss a wide range of issues (contracts, working conditions, etc.) and, in particular, start focusing on the redesign of the workplace
(36) Leverage on positive beliefs about change: positive feelings condition the behavior of workers and are a fundamental factor for change: among these, pride and identification with the company, and lack of fear about change	xiv. Management of feelings about change
(37) Manage negative beliefs about status quo and change: many negative feelings had to be managed in the initial stage, such as, for example, beliefs related to rule violation, fear of dismissal, and generic fears about change
(38) Monitor and influence neutral feelings: the initial context was characterized by neutral feelings about organizational change; many workers never thought of not making it and there was a broad scepticism about closing the plant

First-order concepts	Second-order themes	Aggregate dimensions
(1) Safety and technical rules: everyone must wear personal safety devices, walking in safe areas and lanes, checking personal PSD, and other safety and technical rules	i. Plant Rules	Benchmarking factors
(2) Rules of conduct and behavior: the plant is characterized by a strong commitment for obeying rules of conduct, such as non-smoking in the workplace, wearing uniforms, and time regulations	i. Plant Rules
(3) Relevance of WCM technical pillars: technical WCM pillars are developed, some of them (i.e. workplace organization and cost deployment) vividly emerging	ii. WCM Standards
(4) Recurrence of managerial pillars: there is a recurrent and systematic emphasis on managerial WCM pillars: among them, “management commitment” and “motivation of the operators” are stressed
(5) WCM level certification: the organization is committed to reaching the highest level of the WCM certification (gold WCM plant attained in 2013)
(6) Technical tools and Toyota-like methods: the plant is characterized by the pervasive introduction and ongoing refinement of technical tools such as Andon, poka-yoke devices, assembly cards, 5 W tools
(7) Productivity and quantity goals: traditional performance indicators such as volume/quantity per period or factor productivity are still relevant and bear strong interdependencies with other classes of objectives	iii. Performance and quality goals
(8) Quality goals: at all organizational levels, people emphasize the importance of attaining quality goals, specifically those attached to formal KPIs (e.g. quick kaizen)
(9) Safety goals: avoiding in-plant injuries is one fundamental requirement of WCM and this is communicated both internally and externally (signboard outside the plant)
(10) Co-design of the workplace: the design of the workplace has been shared by experts and operators, who are directly involved in the (re-)design of their workstations	iv. Workplace redesign (WPR)	Improvement factors
(11) Focus on ergonomics: the continuous redesign of the workplace is strongly justified by the need for enhancing the workers' psychophysical wellbeing
(12) Ongoing efforts for innovative search: there is a continuous attention to testing and introducing innovations aimed at redesigning the workplace
(13) Formal, bottom-up practices for WPR management: the bottom-up development of formal practices aims at facilitating WPR management (e.g.: line bookkeeping of errors by type/operator: can help redesign a problematic practice/better train operators)
(14) Central role of team leaders: team leaders are the focal actors; their role is particularly relevant in designing the WPR, in quality control, and in the management of team structure (through hirings) and dynamics	v. Line positions and roles
(15) Supervisors and other technical roles: the compression of the hierarchical structure entails a larger span of control for supervisors: they tend to manage more workers with a widening of the responsibilities
(16) Plant manager and HR manager: they are readily available, can be reached within one hour, and can immediately mandate new regulations
(17) Small plant: a small plant is introduced for purposes of training and job redesign. The small plant is located on-site (normally located remotely, only used for studying ergonomics and the design of the working stations)	vi. Small plant design and refinement
(18) The small plant as a compass: all workers learn in the small plant. It helps them make sense of their contribution to the whole process	vi. Small plant design and refinement
(19) Mistake management process: the work process is designed to allow for an early detection of mistakes, through procedures, incentive systems (no punishment for errors) and tools (HERCA)	vii. Problem solving approach
(20) Obsessive focus on continuous improvement: it occurs through promoting improvement, maintaining attention, no punishment, and understanding of individual issues
(21) Innovations aimed at removing elements that could hamper problem solving: initiatives are aimed at structurally reducing the scope for mistakes and improving the potential of problem solving (e.g. attention management)
(22) Daily Briefing (DB): DB was introduced as a key tool for institutionalizing the outcomes of the PDCA-based improvement process. It consists of meetings where shop floor employees propose changes to the current work practices. If successful, it can lead to plant-wide adoptions of proposals	viii. Daily Briefing (DB)	Catalyzing forces
(23) Emotional factors and incentives of DB: showing a non-conformity and its solution in front of the whole plant implies a relevant emotional involvement and represents a strong incentive for improvement	viii. Daily Briefing (DB)
(24) High level of education: a very high share of line workers have attained a high level of formal education at bachelor's or master's degree (MS) levels	ix. Selection and training
(25) Strong emphasis on soft skills and competences: line selection and career progression is correlated with soft skills such as listening, problem solving abilities, and empowerment, rather than technical abilities or seniority	ix. Selection and training
(26) Offices directly in the plant: management offices and facilities are located close to the assembly line, such that problems and issues are addressed immediately, with minimal recourse to hierarchy	x. Layout design
(27) Workstation layout aimed at ergonomics: from the onset, the design of the layout privileged ergonomics: this made it possible to preserve the well-being and attention of workers, so they could focus on improvement
(28) Suppliers have direct access to internal facilities: supply tables and other solutions allow to locate suppliers as close as possible to the assembly line, where supply issues may emerge, in order to address them quickly
(29) Listening: management of internal vertical communication has decisively changed towards a greater ability to listen actively and to take into account bottom-up signals	xi. Communication
(30) Personal incentives for sharing information: horizontal communication is facilitated; workers are encouraged to share knowledge with peers, in the belief that it enables a better work environment	xi. Communication
(31) Hierarchy simplification: an important organizational redesign has produced two changes in structure: a hierarchical level has been removed and teams have been downsized	xii. Organizational restructuring	Triggering forces
(32) Initial workplace redesign: the workplace has undergone a profound restructuring, by using technology-based tools for the division of labor and the redesign of job description and rotation	xii. Organizational restructuring
(33) Need for an abrupt discontinuity: the productive context was not reformable through incremental change, but needed a strong signal of discontinuity aimed at radical change	xiii. Initial workshop
(34) Overall recognition of a memorable event: the initial workshop is widely recognized, at all levels, as a milestone in the process of change management and initiating a new course of action regarding the plant
(35) Change workers engagement: in the workshop, workers were encouraged to set and discuss a wide range of issues (contracts, working conditions, etc.) and, in particular, start focusing on the redesign of the workplace
(36) Leverage on positive beliefs about change: positive feelings condition the behavior of workers and are a fundamental factor for change: among these, pride and identification with the company, and lack of fear about change	xiv. Management of feelings about change
(37) Manage negative beliefs about status quo and change: many negative feelings had to be managed in the initial stage, such as, for example, beliefs related to rule violation, fear of dismissal, and generic fears about change
(38) Monitor and influence neutral feelings: the initial context was characterized by neutral feelings about organizational change; many workers never thought of not making it and there was a broad scepticism about closing the plant

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