THE ROLE OF THE FOREMAN IN MODERN INDUSTRY: SOME CONSIDERATIONS OF MANAGEMENT IDENTIFICATION OF FOREMEN
Abstract
An error-choice attitude questionnaire was used to measure the management identification of first line foremen from 28 Midwest industries. Other questionnaires were used to measure the foremen's subjective status attitudes, and the attitudes of the foremen's subordinates toward the foremen. (The error-choice questionnaire also afforded a measure of the foremen's knowledge of current trends in the social, economic and industrial areas.) Supervisors' ratings were used to evaluate the relative productivity of the various foremen's work groups. Other variables studied included the foremen's; organizational level; shift; sex; tenure as foremen; size of work group supervised; age; education; and answers to a straightforward question regarding "the place of the foreman in today's industry."Among the major findings of this research are the following: foremen's management identification scores (from the error-choice measure) varied considerably and significantly from plant-to-plant; there was, in the total sample studied, a positive relationship between the foremen's management identification scores and the rated productivity of their work groups; the relationship between the foreman's management identification scores and the work group productivity ratings varied from plant to plant (there is a significant interaction effect when management identification scores are classified by plants and productivity ratings.)The findings of the study are summarized and discussed. Hypotheses are offered to explain the general nature of foreman management identifi- cation as well as the plant-to-plant differences in the relationship between foreman management identification and the productivity of the foremen's work groups.A major hypothesis resulting from this study is that the extent to which a foreman feels that he is a part of management depends largely upon his perception of his chances for success as a manager.
Degree
Ph.D.
Subject Area
Psychology
Off-Campus Purdue Users:
To access this dissertation, please log in to our
proxy server.