High Performance Work Systems in Manufacturing Logistics

High Performance Work Systems (HPWSs) are considered to have great potential to generate substantial competitive advantage. High Performance Work Practices (HPWPs) comprise of particular management practices like self-managed teamwork, flat hierarchical structures, job rotation, performance related wages or workforce empowerment to create an organisation based on employee involvement. So far, HPWSs have primarily been applied in the context of industrial production work. In this paper we raise the question, whether self-managed teamwork is also applicable to manufacturing logistics, which shows different work characteristics than production work. Our preliminary conclusion is that successful implementation is possible.