Abstract
M. Comm.
Manufacturing organisations can gain a competitive advantage though involved and committed shop floor employees. King and Ehrhard (1997:140) indicate that organisations can be more effective through empowering employees. There are many initiatives and programmes to engage shop floor employees and improve their commitment. However, South African organisations underestimate the extent of “high value-added employee participation-orientated strategies” (Wood & Glaister, 2008:448). The historical relationship between management and shop floor employees in South Africa presents opportunity for improvements. These improvements can lead to competitive advantages in the market for the organisation and therefore improved business results. The following research problem is recognized. It appears that senior management in South African manufacturing companies do not engender workplace commitment in shop floor employees. There is therefore the need to understand the different drivers for successfully improving commitment of shop floor employees in a manufacturing environment.