Marcel F. van Assen

• PhD
• Professor at Tilburg University

Purpose In this study the authors investigate the relationship of both social (SLMX) and economic (ELMX) leader–member exchange with innovative work behaviour (IWB) and the potential moderating effect of having a paradox mindset. A paradox mindset facilitates the recognition of tensions and the integration of competing demands and goals, which may...

This study aims to investigate whether and how a learning-from-error climate is associated with work-related flow experiences by employees. Drawing on the tenets of Job Demands-Resources theory, we propose that this relationship is mediated by a work-related growth mindset. The study tests a mediation model by conducting structural equations modell...

Although the concept of flow at work is increasingly receiving scholarly attention, knowledge about the interaction between challenge and hindrance stress demands in the context of flow is still lacking. Moreover, little is known about the stress-relieving capacity of coping mechanisms in connection to work-related flow. The aim of our study is to...

Training and the use of a common improvement method have been promoted as important mechanisms to facilitate continuous improvement. As a result, organisations invested heavily in purchasing standard, off-the-shelf improvement methods and massive training of employees in these types of methods and the associated tools and techniques. In practice, h...

Organisations nowadays try to be ambidextrous, that is, to balance exploitation and exploration, at the level of the organisational unit, or even at the individual level. Recent studies found that important drivers for contextual ambidexterity are a high level of empowerment and an orientation towards continuous improvement (CI) and innovation. It...

Purpose Whereas many studies address ambidexterity at the organizational level, much less is known about individual level ambidexterity. Moreover, there is a lack of thorough understanding of how motivational orientations are related to individual level ambidexterity. Yet, it is crucial to have an understanding of what motivates employees who perf...

Lean is often considered as a collection of practices that can be used to achieve high operational performance. However, based on contingency theory and the theory of rational accounts, we show that organisations create fit between Lean practices and the perceived organisational context. Specifically, we show that the impact of Lean on process impr...

Visual performance management (VPM) is a bundle of practices where visual techniques are used to offer timely information to shop-floor employees about the performance of processes. We investigate whether VPM contributes to the beneficial effects of Lean, and if so, what the relationship is between VPM and other Lean practices. Thus, the study buil...

It is commonly agreed that the success of Lean management is not only determined by its technical practices, but also by the so-called soft practices such as behavior and actions of employees and management. Lean Management behavior is in itself paradoxical in nature as it incorporates technical aspects (e.g., fact-based management, analysis and ad...

Purpose This study examines the impact of process orientation at employee level on operational performance and customer-focused performance, where the components process thinking by staff, process mapping, and process standardization are cumulative developments, building on each other. Design/methodology/approach Structural equations modeling is...

Lean is often considered as a collection of tools and practices that can be used to achieve superior operational and financial performance. However, there is consensus nowadays that the use of Lean tools and practices is a minimum, but not sufficient condition for successful Lean implementations for which a culture of continuous improvement (CI) an...

Advanced Planning and Scheduling (APS) systems have gained renewed interest from academics and practitioners. However, literature on APS adoption is scant. This study explores the impact of organizational and innovation related factors on the adoption of APS systems from a factors approach. The results from our field survey of 136 Dutch discrete ma...

The organizational theory literature argues that the more uncertain the environment, the more likely the firm’s operational decision structure is decentralized. However, it remains unclear which uncertainty dimensions (i.e. complexity, rate of change and lack of information) impacts the production planning and control structure the most given tod...

Agile manufacturing is largely dependent on the capabilities of its people to learn and evolve with change. However, while agile manufacturing uses e-commerce enabled technology in a decentralized organizational setting, it remains unclear how these individual capabilities should be linked to other organizational resources to create an agile organi...

In this paper, we present a planning and control framework for manufacture-to-order environments that enables and supports agile-based discrete parts manufacturing. The characteristic elements of our framework are that it is decentralized, logistics and business oriented, and that it recognizes that more detailed and more reliable data become avail...

Manufacturing firms are bound by the conditions of their environment. They have to fulfil the demands of various stakeholders, such as customers, suppliers, government, financiers, and employees) that provide them the resources to perform their operations. The effectiveness of a manufacturing firm depends on the fit between the manufacturing system...