Final answer:
The adoption of lean manufacturing and just-in-time production has increased the responsibility and authority of production workers, while simultaneously weakening union influence and reducing the skill requirements for many manufacturing jobs.
Step-by-step explanation:
The spread of lean manufacturing and just-in-time production has significantly altered the role of production workers. These strategies have given production workers more responsibility and more authority because tasks demand higher levels of education, decision-making, and problem-solving abilities. However, while just-in-time production can provide workers, especially in certain parts plants, with significant leverage in the supply chain, the reliance on outsourcing and non-union labor has generally decreased the bargaining power of unions, reducing their leverage in negotiating for better benefits and higher wages.
Additionally, the introduction of assembly lines, a key feature of lean manufacturing, has led to jobs becoming more boring and repetitious as workers are trained to complete only a small part of the manufacturing process. The advances in the assembly line have allowed for more efficient and speedy production of goods, but it has also rendered the work unskilled, repetitive, and it has weakened the importance of unions. The mechanization of tasks and the de-skilling of labor meant most workers were easily replaceable, which undermined their job security and bargaining power.