A Comparison of the Work Activity of Quality Assurance and Production Managers

Reporting data collected by observation of the total work activities of 21 manufacturing managers in the UK, this article investigates the controversy: “Are managerial jobs similar or different to each other?” The data shows that, contrary to substantial inference within the literature, significant differences can be distinguished between managerial jobs. Specific attention is directed towards the work activity differences between quality assurance and production managers. The former are shown to work with less physical intensity, make more non‐routine decisions, pursue less definable objectives and enjoy a less cooperative environment than the latter. Finally, the article raises the question of whether manufacturing managers (other than quality assurance managers) are sympathetic to the wider aims of quality assurance.