| Sumario: | In this article, we analyze the union's role in the adoption of High Performance Work Systems (HPWS) and in the first stages of Industry 4.0 deployment in Canadian automotive assembly plants. We argue two main points: studies of Industry 4.0 cannot ignore the importance of employment relations in technological adoption; and Industry 4.0 is embedded in HPWS, which in some cases unions have played a significant role in shaping, if not 'hybridizing.' We address these points through a critical literature review and 18 interviews with key UNIFOR union representatives and managers in five Canadian assembly plants. Our analytical contribution is to provide a richer framework for understanding how employment relations and especially unions have been significant sources of variation in HPWS and how this factor contributes to the workplace integration of Industry 4.0.
|
|---|