Work Study and Productivity Improvement: Literature Review

This report presents a comprehensive literature review on work study, focusing on its application in the manufacturing sector to enhance productivity. The review begins by defining work study and its components, including method study and time study. It explores the crucial role of work study in improving productivity by eliminating waste, reducing costs, and standardizing methods. The report then delves into the specific techniques of work study, such as method study, which focuses on optimizing work processes, and time study, which determines standard times for tasks. The literature review also examines the positive and negative impacts of these techniques, highlighting how systematic records and standardized methods can both improve and hinder productivity. Furthermore, the report discusses work measurement approaches, including analytical estimation, work sampling, and time study, and their contributions to resource management and product quality. The conclusion emphasizes the importance of work study in achieving organizational goals and improving employee performance, providing a balanced perspective on the benefits and drawbacks of different work study methods within the manufacturing context.

Literature Review
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Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
LITERATURE REVIEW................................................................................................................1
Work Study.................................................................................................................................1
Role of Work study in improving productivity...........................................................................1
Techniques of work study for improving the productivity.........................................................2
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................6

INTRODUCTION
Production is refers to those manufacturing activity by which raw material are passes
through various activities and completed in a fished nature (National Research Council, 2013). It
is known as main part of every business by which it can make great market approach in the
global world. Hence, it can be said that to managing or improving the production activity is a key
action which is done by the manager. This report presents the literature review and describes the
role of works and techniques for improving the production activity of a manufacturing company.
It also explain the various techniques by which a manufacturing industry make some changes for
improving their productivity. At last by critical analysing the various facts helps to present the
role of work study and techniques which are used by the manufacturing company form manage
their production activity as per their desired plan.
LITERATURE REVIEW
Work Study
It can be defined as the analysis of a particular activity of a job for determining the
correct method which suitable for them. It includes determining the standard time to execute the
action as per the given method. Work study can be divided into two parts: Method study and
Time study. According to National Research Council, (2013) It is a management techniques
which investigate the various factors that make great impact on the efficiency and effectiveness
of organisation activity in order to make some changes in their production plan. It also includes
set standards and rules by which a firm, can analysis the actual need by comparing the other
alternatives for achieving their goals and objectives by an effective manner. Moreover, work
study for improving the productivity by a manufacturing industry can be done by eliminating the
waste and unnecessary actions or reducing the cost by adopting the standardised method which is
suitable for the organisation. Hence, it can be said that work study plays a supportive role to
improving the productivity by the manufacturing company.
Role of Work study in improving productivity
In order to improving the productivity by a manufacturing company, work study plays
various roles in an organisation. As per National Research Council, (2013) point of view, work
study plays an important role in a production process. In which, standardised methods are
already determined which are performed in a idle time. Hence, work study is knows as the best
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way of performing the task in a manufacturing industry. Moreover, quality control can be done
by the work study while improving the productivity. It includes control on quality which is
completed by the pre-determined time which is useful to analysis the process effectively. In
addition to this, to make an industrial relation and sales both are the main role which are covered
under the work study. Industrial relation can be maintain by making good relationship with the
labours and employees and treat them in an equal manner. According to Zohar and Polachek,
(2014) on the opposite side, sales includes product cost which is highly affected function done by
the manufacturing industry for improving the level of production.
Techniques of work study for improving the productivity
In order to determine the role of work study for improving the productivity by a
manufacturing industry, it can be divided into two methods, such as Method study and Time
study. According to Marcuse, (2013) method study refers to those techniques and procedure for
executing the work as per the requirement by the industry. It is used to different types of
organisation such as new or existing. In case of existing job, method study identify the best way
by which specific work can be performed safely or an economical manner. As per Marcuse,
(2013) this method is mainly focus on developing those process which require less human
resource, efforts and less time to execute the work. It can be said that by the use of effective and
better method, all the material and resources can be utilized effectively or optimally by the
industry. It includes selecting of those human or manpower which can perform their work in an
organized manner without taking lots of time and lower cost. According to Landy and Conte,
(2016) it can be said that with the use of method study, manufacturing industry have a wide
choice by which it can develop a systematic strategy of developing human resources effectively.
It includes various activities such as providing advance machines and equipments which can be
utilized effectively. Hence, it can be said that method study helps the manufacturing industry to
utilizes all the material and resources in an economical manner for improving the productivity.
As per Jaber, (2016) point of view, on the other hand time study is defines a standard
time in which particular action can be completed by the workers. Here, standardised times are
related differently at diversified situation. In case of manpower, machinery and equipment time
are consumed differently. Idle time can be decided as er the requirement of stock. For example:
A manufacturing industry can utilize their material daily, weekly or monthly for making changes
in their production activity. By applying both of the two methods, manufacturing industry can
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achieve their desire goals or objectives by an effective manner. According to Heizer, (2016)
there are many situations in which both the two study method and time study do not provides
positive results to the manufacturing industry. In method study, a systematic records can be
maintained by the industry in order to get all the detailed information related to the production. It
includes recording and critically examining the existing process and future process to improving
the quality of a products. This methods helps the manufacturing company ton make complete
records, but on the other hand; it also make negative impact on the growth of the cited industry.
As per Freivalds and Niebel, (2013) by following a systematic approaches make problems to a
business that it make pressure on the production departments while 'producing a particular
products. Critical examination crates some difficulties by identifying the each and every stage
such as requirement of raw material, transportation and its charges etc. which can not be
identified effectively by this method. According to Dennis, (2016) making a compete records in
a method study, every information related with stock and material are presented in a charts,
diagrams and therblings. It can be said that all the details are presented in a graphical manner
which is easily understandable by the person. It does not make any confusion regarding with
process and procedure in order to improving the productivity by a manufacturing industry.
According to Deming, (2015) method study also improved the performance because this
study is mainly follow the standard method. On the other hand, by opting standards method;
manufacturing industry faces the losses in those conditions when prices are fluctuated in the
market due to inflation or changes in economy. It make negative impact on the production
activity because, by the use of standard method, cost of raw material, labours are already decided
but due to changes in an economy, prices are changes it value which make diversified imp[act on
the product's price. Hence, it can be said that changing in product's price make difficulties to the
manufacturing companies and sometimes they will go in a loss situation. As per Cummings and
Worley, (2014) point of view, work measurement is also great approach which are used by the
manufacturing companies for improving the productivity by using an appropriate manner. It is an
application in which all the activities are performed by the manufacturer are totally based on the
time. It includes different activities which affect in a diversified manner. In this process, manager
can divide each and every jobs into small elements so that they can estimate the actual time taken
by the department for producing the goods. It includes various techniques such as analytical
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estimation, work sampling and time study by which producer can estimate every task for
effective development of products.
According to Coombs, Hall and Long, (2014) analytical estimation includes various
process by which workers activity can be measured with the use of stop watch. It is essential for
the industry to examine the actual time taken by the employees for performing their task. It also
includes use of advance techniques such as barometric machines or keeping a register records for
every workers. It is useful to analysis the capability of a workers while completing a particular
related with the production department. As per Battilana, Sengul, Pache and Model, (2015) point
of view, work sampling is another way of estimating the work or measuring the operation done
by the workers in an organisation. In this method, sample of work can be taken for analysing the
importance and quality of an activity. It can be chosen by collecting the information randomly by
which quality and time taken for competing the work can be analysed effectively. Moreover,
time study is an approach by which manager of a manufacturing industry can estimate the actual
time taken by the employees for completing a particular task. In respect to this, employer make
comparison with actual time taken with desired time. Hence, by using all these approaches helps
the industry to manage their resources and material for making quality in their products. It can be
said that to make a complete work study and adopt various techniques helps the manufacturing
industry to utilizes their resources optimally. Thus, effective use of work study methods such as
time and method study make positive and negative impact on the growth of an industry.
Moreover, it is a useful techniques by which manufacturing company can make some changes in
their process and improving their productivity.
CONCLUSION
As per the above detailed report, it can be concluded that work study is a techniques by
which standard rules and regulation are followed by the company ton achieve their desire goals
and objectives. To improving the productivity by the manufacturing industry is an important task
which helps the cited firm achieve their planned growth. This report discovered the role of work
study by the manufacturing company. It also explained the various methods such as method
study and time study which make great contribution for improving the performance of
employees. By analysing the methods study, it can be concluded that standards process can be
used by the firm. On the other hand, time method includes various approaches such as work
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sampling, time study etc. by which business can determine the actual time taken by the
employees for completing their task. At last by critically analysing both the methods helps to
understand the positive and negative impact of the study for improving the productivity by the
manufacturing company.
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REFERENCES
Journals and Books
Battilana, J., Sengul, M., Pache, A.C. and Model, J., 2015. Harnessing productive tensions in
hybrid organizations: The case of work integration social enterprises. Academy of
Management Journal. 58(6). pp.1658-1685.
Coombs, J., Hall, D.O. and Long, S. P. eds., 2014. Techniques in bioproductivity and
photosynthesis: pergamon international library of science, technology, engineering and
social studies. Elsevier.
Cummings, T. G. and Worley, C. G., 2014. Organization development and change. Cengage
learning.
Deming, D. J., 2015. The growing importance of social skills in the labor market. The Quarterly
Journal of Economics.
Dennis, P., 2016. Lean Production simplified: A plain-language guide to the world's most
powerful production system. Crc press.
Freivalds, A. and Niebel, B., 2013. Niebel's Methods, Standards, & Work Design. Mcgraw-Hill
higher education.
Heizer, J., 2016. Operations Management, 11/e. Pearson Education India.
Jaber, M.Y. ed., 2016. Learning curves: Theory, models, and applications. CRC Press.
Landy, F. J. and Conte, J. M., 2016. Work in the 21st Century, Binder Ready Version: An
Introduction to Industrial and Organizational Psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
Marcuse, H., 2013. One-dimensional man: Studies in the ideology of advanced industrial society.
Routledge.
National Research Council, 2013. Education for life and work: Developing transferable
knowledge and skills in the 21st century. National Academies Press.
Zohar, D. and Polachek, T., 2014. Discourse-based intervention for modifying supervisory
communication as leverage for safety climate and performance improvement: A
randomized field study. Journal of Applied Psychology. 99(1). p.113.
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Online
Work Study: Meaning, Objectives and Types. [2017]. Available through:
<http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/cost-accounting/work-study-meaning-objectives-and-
types/74415/> [ Accessed on 23 August 2017].
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