Blue‐collar workers, career success and innovation in manufacturing

Valentina Cillo, Alexeis Garcia-Perez, Manlio Del Giudice, Francesca Vicentini

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    21 Citations (Scopus)
    980 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    Purpose
    The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the relationship between employees’ knowledge and organisational performance.

    Design/methodology/approach
    Using a structural equation model, feedback received from 237 blue-collar workers from multinational high-tech manufacturing enterprises in Italy was studied to understand, from a dynamic capabilities perspective, the role of soft skills in the career success of production workers.

    Findings
    The results of the analysis indicate a positive relationship between workers’ commitment to develop their soft skills and their career success, as well as a positive relationship between an organisation’s approach to both knowledge exploration and knowledge exploitation and the prospects for career success of blue-collar workers.

    Research limitations/implications
    The research has both theoretical and practical implications, as any efforts by researchers and practitioners to find effective ways to motivate the workforce will be likely to lead to a positive attitude towards learning and, ultimately, to improved business performance.

    Originality/value
    The originality of the paper is the focus on the personality and interpersonal attributes of workforce – blue-collar workers – and how they can affect business performance in highly innovative contexts.
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)529-544
    Number of pages16
    JournalCareer Development International
    Volume24
    Issue number6
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 3 Oct 2019

    Keywords

    • Career
    • Career development
    • Knowledge management
    • Organizational performance
    • Structural equation modelling

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Social Sciences (miscellaneous)
    • Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management

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