Saturday, February 02, 2002

Case Study - Longwall Mining

Description

In the years immediately after the Second World War, researchers at the Tavistock Institute carried out a number of studies of work organization, including a classic study of deep-seam coal mining. They found two very different forms of organization, which they labelled "conventional" and "composite", both operated within the same seam and using identical technology.

The conventional system combines a complex formal structure with simple work roles. The miner is committed to a single part-task, enters into a limited number of unvarying social relations, and has no sense of loyalty or responsibility outside his particular task group. The composite system combines a simple formal structure with complex work roles. The miner has a commitment to the whole group task, and consequently finds himself drawn into a variety of tasks in co-operation with different members of the total group.
 

 
Conventional system
Composite system
Number of men
41
41
Number of segregated task groups
14
1
Mean job variation for members:    
task groups worked with
1.0
5.5
main tasks worked
1.0
3.6
different shifts worked
2.0
2.9
Productive achievement
78
95
Ancillary work at face (hours per man-shift)
1.32
0.03
Average reinforcement of labour
6
0
Shifts with cycle lag
69%
5%
Consecutive weeks without losing a cycle
12
65
Absenteeism    
without reason
4.3%
0.4%
sickness or other
8.9%
4.6%
accidents
6.8%
3.2%
total
20.0%
8.2%
 
Questions
 

What theories of management and organization are illustrated by these data? What are the possible consequences for management action? 

 

Sources 

The original research is described in a number of papers by Eric Trist, Ken Bamforth, Fred Emery, and others.

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