Abstract—This paper proposes that causal ambiguity can undermine motivation during the implementation of LPS. This is mainly because of the complexity of transferring knowledge in an LPS initiative. LPS has many inter-related components and their implementation requires changes to work processes and mindset. This is not easily understood by everyone in the organization. Instead, employees experience causal ambiguity and are not able understand well the expected changes. The literature on causal ambiguity also point out that there may be differences of understanding between top management and those lower in the organization on what the change entails. We also propose that individual differences will also shape their reaction to causal ambiguity and their motivation during the LPS initiative. These differences moderate the relationship between causal ambiguity and motivation during the initiative.

Index Terms—causal ambiguity, motivation, role breadth self-efficacy, openness to experience, trust

Cite: Suhailah Shamsudin and Rozhan Othman, "Consequences of Causal Ambiguity on Motivation in Lean Production System Adoption: The Role of Moderating Variables," Journal of Advanced Management Science, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. 82-85, January 2016. doi: 10.12720/joams.4.1.82-85