Industrial engineering projects has implications for operators and also the systems they improve are man machine systems. Hence, unless the cooperation of operators is obtained, the system improvement will not take place. It means, industrial engineers have to analyse the expected behavior from operators, their supervisors and engineers toward the new proposed systems and take adequate steps to get favorable reaction.
The following questions are to be asked by them or analysed by them. They have to take the help of Organization Behavior specialists, Human Resource Managers and Industrial Relations experts in this regard.
1. Who are the people affected by the proposed new system? What type of employees are they?
2. What has been their feeling toward changes in the past? How will the traditions of their group be
affected by the proposal?
3. Who are the leaders of the group involved? What will be their reaction? How can they be sold on the proposal?
4. What is the immediate supervisor's probable reaction? Are his ideas incorporated in the proposal?
How can he be brought into the plan so that he feels favorably toward it? Can he be given the
major credit for the plan?
5. What is the attitude of the union toward such a proposal? How is the union contract involved?
6. Will the proposal require that men be laid off or demoted? Can satisfactory transfers be arranged?
7. Will wage rates and incentive rates be fairly adjusted as part of the change? Will men be asked
to take more responsibility or do more work without extra compensation? Will men be asked to work
against their own interests?
8. How will the proposal affect persons in other departments in the plant? What will be their reaction?
9. Will the proposal take all the responsibility and skill away from certain jobs? If so, will present employees lose prestige with their fellow workers? Will it be possible to keep present employees satisfied under the new conditions?
10. Have the workers involved had ample opportunity to express their views regarding improvements
included in the proposal? Have their ideas been given honest consideration and credit?
11. Do employees trust the data of the industrial engineers? Are they convinced performance standards are fairly set?
12. How are lines of promotion affected by the proposal? Will some workers be cut out of advancement they have worked toward under the present setup?
13. What kind of appeal would be most successful in getting acceptance from the workers? Who
should introduce and sell the plan to them?
14. What is the proper timing for introducing the proposed plan? Are the workers or supervisors temporarily upset about something? When should the plan be installed?
15. What are the long-time human relations effects of the proposal?
Reference
Industrial Engineering and Human
By M. T. DAVIS
Engineering and Science Monthly
February 1944
pp. 14 - 15
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