Total Productive Maintenance, Affective Commitment and Employee Retention in Apparel Production

Abstract

The success of the implementation of advanced manufacturing systems, such as total productive maintenance (TPM), depends on employee commitment and retention. This study investigated total productive maintenance (TPM) practices implemented by apparel production firms, and the effect of these practices on affective commitment (AC), and employee retention (ER) of operators on the production floor. The study adopted the survey research methodology. In total, 411 operators from apparel production firms responded to the study. The responses were analyzed using statistical methods. Four hundred and eleven responses were received for the survey and data were analyzed using statistical methods. The findings suggest that TPM practices significantly positively affect AC. Affective commitment mediates between TPM and ER. The success and sustainability of TPM implementations depend on the firm’s ability to retain trained operators and keep their AC high. The study has several implications for theory and practice.