An exploration of the integrative function of dialogue in manufacturing

Abstract

This paper is about the roles of dialogue as a generative mechanism in manufacturing system integration. It advocates the integrative power of dialogue in the design and operation of manufacturing systems. Dialogical conversation is a powerful tool to create a learning organisation: it might be a valuable instrument to implement in manufacturing companies that want to renew themselves, in order to help find assumptions behind the thinking, to discover hidden patterns that block effective behaviours in all sorts of work contexts, and to develop openness, responsibility, and trust in both individual employees and work teams. This paper re-analyses five studies about the introduction of dialogue as a new mode of communication among managers, engineers, and workers in a Dutch manufacturing company. It explores the integrative functions, action and learning triggers, and collective learning processes that dialogue had in this particular case.