Effects of job characteristics on performance of advanced manufacturing technology: an empirical examination to equipment-manufacturing industry

Advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) is pivotal for firms to gain manufacturing performance and competitive advantage. Job characteristics, as a kind of important factors affecting the implementation effects of AMT, have become the focus in the field of academy. Based on a literature review, this study refines the implementation effects of AMT into operational performance, satisfaction and competitive performance, and reclassifies the job characteristics of AMT into job autonomy, job responsibility, job complexity and job significance. With a large sample of 307 equipment-manufacturing firms selected from the 2005 China International Equipment and Manufacturing Exposition, linear structural equation analysis (LIEREL) is performed to examine the relationships between job characteristics and the implementation effects of AMT. The results show that job responsibility and job significance have positive effects on satisfaction; satisfaction is positively correlated with operational performance; operational performance positively affects competitive performance. The findings provide the guide for firms to improve satisfaction, achieve higher operational performance and further gain higher competitive by reasonable job redesign.