Ergonomics, Kaizen and Organisational Support as Pathways to Worker Well-Being in Malaysian Automotive Manufacturing: A Conceptual Framework and Research Design

Automotive production in Malaysia is being reshaped by automation and Industry 4.0, yet manual and semi-automated assembly work continues to expose production workers to physical strain, time pressure and the demands of continuous improvement programmes. Studies of ergonomics and Kaizen have largely developed in parallel, and the psychosocial mechanisms through which both might influence worker well-being have been rarely tested. This paper develops an integrative conceptual framework and a research design to address that gap. Drawing on Job Demands-Resources theory, Organisational Support Theory, and Social Exchange Theory, the framework proposes that physical ergonomic factors and Kaizen practices influence worker well-being directly and indirectly, with perceived organisational support as a mediating mechanism. Five hypotheses are developed from the existing theoretical and empirical literature. A quantitative cross-sectional design is then specified for production and technical workers at automotive industry and its vendors in Tanjung Malim, Perak, covering the target population, a minimum sample of 361 respondents, a 40-item reflective measurement instrument, content and face validation, a 30-respondent pilot test and a two-step partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis. This paper contributes a testable model that links technical and operational practices to Worker Well-Being through a psychosocial pathway, and it offers a replicable protocol for researchers studying production workers in comparable manufacturing settings. No empirical results are reported; the paper sets out the model and the design against which the main study will be evaluated.