Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/10419/288796 
Year of Publication: 
2020
Citation: 
[Journal:] Journal of Business Economics [ISSN:] 1861-8928 [Volume:] 91 [Issue:] 2 [Publisher:] Springer [Place:] Berlin, Heidelberg [Year:] 2020 [Pages:] 151-178
Publisher: 
Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Abstract: 
In many industrial countries, demographic changes towards an aging society go hand in hand with the need for ergonomic workplaces. Therefore, it is necessary to rethink workplace designs and work processes, particularly in industrial professions, such as logistics. As logistics activities are still characterized by a high amount of manual effort, they represent a suitable field for gaining empirical insights into the implementation of automation and ergonomic practices to inform social sustainable warehousing logistics strategies. By assuming a paradox perspective, this study accordingly examines the research question to which extent tensions arise in the context of sustainable warehousing regarding the implementation of technical automation and improved ergonomic processes. To answer this question, automation and ergonomics practices are studied at two logistics service providers and an industrial manufacturer in Germany. By applying a mixed-methods approach, the study analyzes empirical data derived from semi-structured interviews with logistics and human resource managers at four warehouse sites of these companies. Besides identifying relevant criteria and paradoxical tensions in improving handling processes in the specific cases, technology alternatives were evaluated from blue-collar employees’ perspectives using an analytic hierarchy process (AHP) survey. The present study provides evidence that paradoxical tensions with regard to belonging and performing, as well as between organizational levels and through the change process itself are most important in this context. In this line, the current study contributes to theory and practice by providing insights into paradoxical tensions in warehousing logistics and discussing how automation and ergonomic transformational processes can be successfully managed through addressing interrelated demands of blue-collar workers, managers, and customers.
Subjects: 
Warehousing logistics
Automation
Ergonomics
Sustainability tensions
Human-technology interaction
Sustainable transformation
JEL: 
L23
M11
M54
O33
Persistent Identifier of the first edition: 
Creative Commons License: 
cc-by Logo
Document Type: 
Article
Document Version: 
Published Version

Files in This Item:
File
Size





Items in EconStor are protected by copyright, with all rights reserved, unless otherwise indicated.