Purpose: To determine the degree of use of some of the most representative lean production (LP) practices in the Spanish ceramic tile industry, their relationship with plant size and their effect on the operational performance of the companies in the sector. Design/methodology/approach: We developed a questionnaire for data collection. Findings are presented from 76 companies (79.17% of the total sample) that specialise in single firing ceramics. Findings: In sector under study, there is one set of practices that have as yet scarcely been implanted (group technology, kanban, reduction of set-up time, multi-function employees and visual factory) and another set whose use is fairly widespread (standardisation of operations, total productive maintenance and quality controls). The degree of their respective use depends on a firm's size. Very few correlations appear between the degree of use of any specific LP practice in isolation and the operational indicators. Research limitations/implications: For certain variables we found very little variation between the firms in our samples. Moreover many firms did not have available the data needed for calculating capacity utilisation, and hence we have not been able to check its effects in our analysis. Practical implications: We present data for reflecting on the application of different LP practices in isolation and on the impediments limiting the use of some of them in the sector. Value of paper: We extend the work of other researchers by focusing on a sector and a country that have been very little studied up till now. The sample consists of a set of firms that are fairly homogeneous; this facilitates analysing the relationships between the selected variables while keeping other variables controlled

Purpose – The first goal of this research is to analyse the effects of lean production (LP) on the policy of human resource management (HRM). The second is to determine whether or not implementation of HRM practices associated with LP explains the differences in organizational performance between manufacturing plants. Design/methodology/approach – The paper developed a questionnaire for data collection. Findings are presented from 76 establishments (79.17 per cent of the total sample) that specialise in single-firing ceramic tiles in Spain. Findings – Companies that make the most of LP practices are also those that take care to train workers in using these practices as well as improving their employment security. However, the same is not true for the pay for performance system. The combination of LP with HRM practices reduces inventory and boosts productivity but does not appear to affect the other performance variables analysed. Research limitations/implications – For certain variables very little variation was found between the plants in the samples. The data are cross-sectional, so causality cannot be definitively determined. Practical implications – This paper indicates the HRM practices associated with the LP and the results obtained. It can thus be used to help human resource and production departments in improving organizational performance. Originality/value – The paper extends the work of other researchers by focusing on a sector and a country that have been very little studied to date. The sample consists of a set of plants that are fairly homogeneous, which facilitates the analysis of the relationships between the selected variables, while keeping other variables controlled.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show a real experience of how a scheme of continuous improvement has been gradually transformed, from a very unsuccessful start, passing through different phases and finally delivering results for the firm. Design/methodology/approach – The authors analyse the evolution of the formal programs of continuous improvement of a firm in a traditional sector (food). The data for the research were gathered by means of participatory observation over the course of 18 months spent in the firm attending the meetings of the improvement teams. Findings – Both programs (individual and group) have proved to be very profitable for the company. However, there is no magic formula for the correct operation of the system of continuous improvement. The existing system has to be continually improved, correcting faults and trying always to contribute something new to re-launch the system regularly. Practical implications – This study has also permitted the authors to highlight the importance of continuous improvement in the firm from both the economic point of view and that of worker development. Originality/value – The investigation aims to help to cover the lack of longitudinal case studies of continuous improvement.

This study examines the relationship between structural and psychological empowerment and its effects on employees’ psychological, physical, and social well-being. Despite the quantity of previously published works, empirical evidence about these relationships in the workplace is scarce. We developed a mediation model in which structural empowerment predicts employee well-being via psychological empowerment. We based our study on the EU-27 data from the 6th European Working Conditions Survey (EWCS). Data were collected from a questionnaire administered face-to-face to a random sample of employees and the self-employed representative of the working population in the European Union (number of valid responses in this study: 23,468). The effects of the relationships among the variables considered were evaluated using Partial Least Squares (PLS). Results indicate that structural empowerment was positively related to psychological empowerment, which was positively related to job satisfaction, work engagement, and social well-being. The expected relationships for work stress and physical well-being were not found.

11 pages, 3 tables, 3 figuresThis article analyzes, under several dimensions, whether collaboration contributes to the production of high-quality scientific results. It examines the proportion of scientific quality (measured by impact and relevance) gained by ISI publications considering the presence of a particular form of collaboration. As an application case, this paper offers a micro-level analysis of the academic research groups (ARGs) of\ud a technical university. Results indicate that there are positive and significant benefits in scientific quality received by ARGs as product of international and inter-sector collaboration, and in a broader sense, from the presence of inter-institutional collaboration.The authors are grateful for financial support from the INGENIO (CSIC-UPV), Institute of Innovation and Knowledge Management (Spain), as well as for a doctoral grant from the LANMOT-ALFA Project (UE) No. II0148FA. This paper is an\ud extension of the doctoral thesis developed into research project No. SEJ2005-08603/PSIC, financed by the National R&D Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science.Peer reviewe