Work organization and ergonomics
Introduction
According to Helander (1997), “ergonomics and human factors use knowledge of human abilities and limitations to the design of systems, organizations, jobs, machines, tools, and consumer products for safe, efficient, and comfortable use” (p. 4). Applications of ergonomics have evolved over time as ergonomic knowledge and research have progressed, but also as human problems emerge around the world. A survey of professional societies federated in the IEA shows that the five most important emerging areas in ergonomics are (Helander, 1997):
- •
methodology to change work organization and design;
- •
work-related musculoskeletal disorders;
- •
usability testing for consumer electronic goods;
- •
human–computer interface: software;
- •
organizational design and psychosocial work organization.
Two of these areas are directly related to the theme of this paper, methodology to change work organization and design, and organizational design and psychosocial work organization. In this paper, we present concepts of work organization and their relationship with ergonomics. We also discuss changes in work and business that can affect work organization and ergonomics. Helander (1997) emphasizes the main purpose of ergonomics, that of design. In this paper, we also discuss approaches for the (re)design of work/organizational systems.
Section snippets
Work organization
The emergence of macroergonomics has strongly contributed to the increasing interest in work organization in the ergonomics field (Hendrick (1991), Hendrick (1996)). Work organization is defined as the way work is structured, distributed, processed and supervised (Hagberg et al., 1995). It is an “objective” characteristic of the work environment, and depends on many factors, including management style, type of product or service, characteristics of the workforce, level and type of technology,
Sociotechnical and business trends
The US NIOSH (2000) indicates that work organization is influenced by factors such as economic conditions, technological change, demographic trends, and changing corporate and employment practices. There are major changes and trends occurring in business, technology and society that can represent new forms of work organization and, therefore, have potentially large impacts on the work system. In this section, we describe some of these trends and their potential impact on the work system. The
Balanced work system–Balanced organization
The original concept of the Balance Theory was developed to examine a work system and its impact on the individual who is at the center of the system (Smith and Carayon-Sainfort, 1989). In this section, we enlarge the original concept in order to examine an organization that is a group of work systems. The concept of ‘balanced organization’ is discussed later.
Design of change process
For ergonomists around the world, one of the biggest challenges is to introduce and implement long-lasting changes that benefit employees. Increasingly, attention is given to the methodologies for implementing ergonomics, such as participatory ergonomics, and to the process used to introduce and implement changes. Table 3 presents the main elements of the proposed change process design. In the work organization and ergonomics literature, two concepts have emerged as critical to change
Conclusion
In this paper, we have examined work organization and its relationship to ergonomics, sociotechnical and business trends affecting work organizations (i.e. re-structuring and re-organizing of companies, new forms of work organization, workforce diversity, and information and communication technology), the concepts of balanced work system and balanced organization, and finally the design of change process. We have emphasized that work and organizations are multidimensional, can have multiple
References (101)
Relationships between ergonomics and quality in assembly work
App. Ergon.
(1995)Igniting organizational change from belowthe power initiative
Organ. Dyn.
(1997)- et al.
Motivation through the design of workTest of a theory
Organizational Behavior and Human Performance
(1976) - et al.
Theory and practice for the implementation of ‘in-house’, continuous improvement participatory ergonomic programs
Appl. Ergon.
(1998) - et al.
A balance theory of job design for stress reduction
Int. J. Ind. Ergon.
(1989) Double loop learning in organizations
Harv. Bus. Rev.
(1977)Empowermentthe emperor's new clothes
Harv. Bus. Rev.
(1998)Tightening the iron cageconcertive control in self-managing teams
Administrative Sci. Quart.
(1993)- et al.
Empowering service employees
Sloan Manage. Rev.
(1995) Effects of computerization on work environment and healthfrom a perspective of equality between sexes
Occup. Heath Nurs.
(1983)
A comparison of just-in-time and batch manufacturingthe role of performance obstacles
Acad. Manage. J.
Stressful jobs and non-stressful jobsa cluster analysis of office jobs
Ergonomics
Psychosocial work factors
Macroergonomics and total quality managementhow to improve quality of working life? Int
J. Occup. Safety Ergon.
Work organization, job stress, and work -related musculoskeletal disorders
Hum. Factors
Stress, job control and other elementsa study of office workers
Int. J. Ind. Ergon.
The use of computers in officesimpact on task characteristics and worker stress
Int. J. Hum. Comput. Interaction
Overcoming resistance to change
Hum. Relations
Healthy mind; healthy organization — a proactive approach to occupational stress
Hum. Relations
Employee participationdiverse forms and different outcomes
Acad. Manage. Rev.
Repetitive workoccupational stress and health
Measurement of the subjective work environment
Work Stress
The health of health care organizations
Work Stress
Noise
Aging – Special issue
Hum. Factors
Stress reactions to computer-interactive tasks as a function of task structure and individual differences
Int. J. Hum. Comput. Interaction
Conceptual dimensions and boundaries of participation in organizationsA critical evaluation
Administrative Sci. Quart.
The Virtual Corporation
Participation as a means of organizational control
J. Manage. Stud.
Ergonomics and the quality movement
Ergonomics
Ergonomics, quality and continuous improvement — Conceptual and empirical relationships in an industrial context
Ergonomics
Ergonomics, quality and continuous improvement — some current issues
A critical view of worker participation in American industry
Work Occup.
Designing Organizations
Alienation and mental health in the modern industrial environment
Groups and productivityAnalyzing the effectiveness of self-managing teams
Fitting the Task to the Man; an Ergonomic Approach
Inter-firm networksantecedents, mechanisms and forms
Organ. Stud.
From experiments to network buildingtrends in the use of research for constructing working life
Hum. Relations
The design of work teams
Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs)A Reference Book for Prevention
The human factors profession
Ergonomics in organizational design and management
Ergonomics
Cited by (282)
Work from home: Facilitators for an effective ergonomic work system
2024, Applied ErgonomicsTo page or not to page? A qualitative study of communication practices of general surgery residents and nurses
2022, Surgery (United States)