Recently, the diffusion of digital machines has further enhanced firms’ manufacturing flexibility, but also opened questions on potential challenges and implications in the production process. To respond to these timely issues, this study adopts a behavioral perspective and comparatively explores how four different types of digital machines—characterized by increasing degrees of manufacturing flexibility—affect the perception and use of space and time for routines within the production plant. To this end, 45 digital manufacturing machines, sampled across 14 firms in the British and Italian motorsport industry, were qualitatively observed and compared. A model emerges where four key mechanisms reshape (1) the interactive space around the machine, (2) the innovation activities performed in the machine space, (3) the time within activities involving the machine, and (4) the time perception. Such mechanisms mediate the relationship between manufacturing flexibility and firm performance. Further, data show how increasing digitalization in the manufacturing process enhances the establishment of new routines as flexible machines get introduced in the production. Finally, theoretical and practical implications related to fostering a behavioral perspective in innovation and operations management studies are discussed.

中文翻译：

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数字机器，空间和时间：面向柔性制造的行为视角

最近，数字机器的普及进一步增强了企业的制造灵活性，但也引发了对生产过程中潜在挑战和影响的质疑。为了应对这些及时的问题，本研究从行为角度出发，并比较探索了四种不同类型的数字机器（通过提高制造灵活性来表征）如何影响生产工厂中例程的空间和时间的感知和使用。为此，定性地观察并比较了英国和意大利赛车行业的14家公司的45台数字制造机器。出现了一个模型，其中四个关键机制重塑了（1）机器周围的交互空间，（2）在机器空间中执行的创新活动，（3）涉及机器的活动中的时间，以及（4）时间感知。这种机制介导了制造灵活性与公司绩效之间的关系。此外，数据显示，随着在生产中引入柔性机器，制造过程中不断增加的数字化将如何增强新例程的建立。最后，讨论了与在创新和运营管理研究中培养行为观点有关的理论和实践意义。