Ergonomics Contributions to Company Strategy (original) (raw)

Ergonomics contributions to company strategies

Applied Ergonomics, 2009

Managers usually associate ergonomics with occupational health and safety and related legislation, not with business performance. In many companies, these decision makers seem not to be positively motivated to apply ergonomics for reasons of improving health and safety. In order to strengthen the position of ergonomics and ergonomists in the business and management world, we discuss company strategies and business goals to which ergonomics could contribute. Conceptual models are presented and examples are given to illustrate: 1) the present situation in which ergonomics is not part of regular planning and control cycles in organizations to ensure business performance, and 2) the desired situation in which ergonomics is an integrated part of strategy formulation and implementation. In order to realize the desired situation, considerable changes must take place within the ergonomics research, education and practice community by moving from a health ergonomics paradigm to a business ergonomics paradigm, without losing the health and safety goals.

Corporate initiatives in ergonomics—an introduction

Applied Ergonomics, 2003

Examples in the literature of corporate initiatives in ergonomics are reviewed. Different types of programmes are identified with ambitions ranging from time-limited interventions to continuous processes. Common elements are health surveillance, workstation design and choice of tools, product design, quality aspects, participative aspects and education, training and information. The implementation of ergonomics programmes varies substantially depending on the type of company, and company policies and organisation. Some of the most developed ergonomics programmes originate from the automobile industry. Other businesses with many established programmes are the electronics industry, the food industry and the office environment. A participative approach, as well as ergonomics expertise, are crucial ingredients for a successful programme. The scientific evaluation of ergonomics programmes, especially in economical terms, is in too many cases insufficient or missing. Furthermore, links to company core values such as quality improvement are often lacking. Programmes in ergonomics are still often seen as solely a matter of health and safety. Only a few companies have reached the state where ergonomics constitutes an integrated part of the overall strategy of the enterprise.

Literature Review on Ergonomics, Ergonomics Practices, and Employee Performance

Quest Journal of Management and Social Sciences

Background: The modern history of ergonomics can be traced back to the world war from 1939 to 1945. From the 1960s to the 1990s, there were many changes made to ergonomics. Some of these were cognitive ergonomics, organizational ergonomics, positive ergonomics, and spiritual ergonomics. Ergonomics is becoming more of an issue in organizations in both developed and developing countries since the rise of occupational safety and health. Today, every company in the world puts more thought into making their workplaces safe. Objective: The goal of this study is to fill in the gaps in the evidence between ergonomics and employee well-being, focusing on ergonomics, ergonomic practices, and employee performance. Methods: This study uses an exploratory research design and gathers information from secondary sources to back up the title. Research papers are carefully chosen from scientific databases like Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Google Scholar by making criteria for each part...

Ergonomics in Industry a Review

Industrial Engineering Journal, 2018

The objective of ergonomics is not to fit an individual to the task rather it aims to fit endeavor to an individual. Human Factor Ergonomics [HFE] has sustainable prospective in designing of different kinds of complex structures with man and machines etc., but it faces issues in compatibility and adherence to meet the market needs. This paper aims to describe review of relevant literature to scrutinize human factor in preservation and to establish demand for quality HFE. Review applies a novel framework that has unique combination that ascertains HFE by following categories: fundamental system approach, design driven approach, workplace macro ergonomics, cynosure outcomes as performance & well-being [Human Resource Management]. In terms of preservation, paper yields key insights concerning impact of decision making and also focuses on the quality HFE by providing strategic and specialized research excellence in HFE. The prerequisites for the mentioned structure such as collaboration between group of HFE and IEA has also been discussed.

Ergonomics Awareness and Employee Performance: An Exploratory Study

Economic and Environmental Studies, 2017

The study examined the effects of ergonomics on employee performance by ascertaining the level of ergonomics awareness in Nigerian organizations, identifying the factors hindering the use of ergonomic, and the best practices and methods adopted by various organizations across industries. Despite a knowledge of importance to a growing number of researchers in Nigeria, there is still a dearth in knowledge of ergonomics design and its implementation in Nigeria. This can be observed in the low level of its adoption. The study adopted an exploratory approach through the review of literature. It was seen that several factors have hindered the efficient implementation of ergonomics in Nigeria which ranges from awareness, insufficient relevant studies, personnel considerations, resources constraints, technological changes, communication and integration disconnection between employees and equipment designers. Also, some best practices and methods adopted by various organizations across industries were identified to include, but not limited to: integration of human element into work design, ergonomics maturity levels (reactive, preventive, proactive and advanced) and quality of workspace (office design, furniture and spatial arrangements, lightings and heating arrangements, noise level). It is, however, recommended that researchers in the field of ergonomics and practitioners in the industry should intensify efforts in carrying out relevant study, organizing conferences and seminars as well as media publicity on why ergonomics should be part of our daily activities. It is also recommended that organizations should orientate and train employees on ergonomics so that they will be aware of the benefits derivable from it and be able to fit into the organization's designs. Lastly, they should integrate employee/human element into ergonomics design process by getting detailed anthropomorphic data, which may bridge the communication disconnect between employees and ergonomic designers.

The Ergonomics Society The Society's Lecture 1996 Ergonomics and the quality movement

Ergonomics, 1997

In a wide variety of business settings, both ergonom ics and quality initiatives are being undertaken. As ergonomists we cannot ignore those simultaneously occurring programmes. At best we should be able to contribute to and learn from them; at worst we need to be aware of possible adverse human consequences of quality initiatives. The quality movement is examined for its ergonom ic implications, and current ergonomics/ quality interactions are reviewed. The future of both ergonomics and the quality movement are considered to derive new directives for interaction. These directions comprise strategic issues, systems approaches to organization design and leadership, measurement-based operations, the impact of technology, team s and the change process and human error studies. It is concluded that interactions between ergonomics and the quality movement can bene® t both.

Linking Ergonomics with the Human Resources Management

Review of International …, 2010

During the last years, ergonomics became one of the reference domains in the managerial theory and practice. Ergonomics is a major component of the human resources management and also, it is an important factor of performances. Ergonomics is the link between efficiency, effectiveness, security and heath and in this context it is necessary to approach the ergonomics and its impact on the process of the organizational development and on the employees.

Effect of Ergonomical Factors on the Employees

To improve and enlightening production ergonomics is a search widespread to numerous organizations in diverse engineering and management zones. At the foundation is an ambition to eradicate hazards for job concerned musculoskeletal disorders, but recent observations on ergonomics have developed the discipline from a merely physiological, anthropometrical, and Psychosocial influential apprehension to an organizational, systems performance discipline. This research recommends that in an organization ergonomics infrastructure is made up of the structural, technical, executive and stakeholder comparative circumstances that allow or obstruct development of ergonomics. These circumstances spotlight on the positioning of diverse employees towards ergonomics concerns in an organization, the relationships between user, workers or employees, scenario, scheme and strategy they use for arguments, and the manipulate that occur from industryparticular culture, insolences and technical incorporation (or elimination) of ergonomics into engineering and production progressions. The information deduced from the research in this paper has been produced together with pertinent theoretical perceptions originated in the literature, into a Tentative Agenda which conducts empirical data assembly intended at planning the ergonomics infrastructure in an organization. Its step-bystep methodical appraisal of circumstances at diverse hierarchical levels in the organization should serve ergonomics experts and managers alike in classifying pathways and obstructions to improve production ergonomics.

Analysis of the contribution of ergonomics to the management system and organizational governance

Brazilian journal of operations & production management, 2023

The purpose is To analyze the application of ergonomics in management systems and organizational governance demonstrating the relevance of the potential of its application. The methodology is marked by three major stages. The first is the identification of scientific texts that address the theory of ergonomics. The second is the identification of reports of experiences of application of ergonomics. In the third, the content analysis of the identified scientific texts is carried out and the discussion of the results obtained contributing to organizational theory and practices. Originality is supported by the governance and management system approach under the ergonomics guideline.

CORRELATION BETWEEN ERGONOMICS AND ECONOMICS

CORRELATION BETWEEN ERGONOMICS AND ECONOMICS , 2019

One of the clearest ways to delineate a discipline is by its unique technology. At its recent workshop, the HFES Strategic Planning Task Force noted, as have others internationally, that the technology of human factors/ergonomics is human-system interface technology. Thus, the discipline of human factors can be defined as the development and application of human-system interface technology. Human-system interface technology deals with the interfaces between humans and the other system components, including hardware, software, environments, jobs, and organizational structures and processes. Like the technology of other design-related disciplines, it includes specifications, guidelines, methods, and tools. As noted by the Strategic Planning Task Force, we use our discipline’s technology for improving the quality of life, including health, safety, comfort, usability, and productivity. As a science we study human capabilities, limitations, and other characteristics for the purpose of developing human-system interface technology. As a practice, we apply human-system interface technology to the analysis, design, evaluation, standardization, and control of systems. It is this technology that clearly defines us as a unique, stand-alone discipline, that identifies who we are, what we do, and what we offer for the betterment of society. Although they may come from a variety of professional backgrounds, such as psychology, engineering, safety, the rehabilitation professions, or medicine, it is their professional education and training in human-system interface technology that qualifies persons as human factors/ergonomics professionals. Indeed, the discipline needs both the breadth and richness of these professional backgrounds as well as the education and training in the unique technology of human factors/ergonomics. Human factors/ergonomics professionals have long recognized the tremendous potential of our discipline for improving people’s health, safety, and comfort and both human and system productivity. Indeed, through the application of our unique human-system interface technology, we have the potential to truly make a difference in the quality of life for virtually all peoples on this globe. In fact, I know of no profession where so small a group of professionals has such tremendous potential for truly making a difference. In light of our potential, why is it, then, that more organizations, with their strong need to obtain employee commitment, reduce expenses, and increase productivity, are not banging down our doors for help, or creating human factors/ergonomics positions far beyond our capacity to fill them? Why is it that federal and state agencies are not pushing for legislation to ensure that human factors/ ergonomics factors are systematically considered in the design of products for human use and work environments for employees? Why is it that both industry associations and members of Congress sometimes view us as simply adding an additional expense burden and, thus, increasing the costs of production and thereby decreasing competitiveness? In response to these questions, from my experience, at least four contributing reasons immediately come to mind. First, some of these individuals and organizations have been exposed to bad ergonomics – or what, in a recent article on this topic, Ian Chong (1996) labels “voodoo ergonomics” – either in the form of products or work environments that are professed to be ergonomically designed but are not, or in which the so-called ergonomics was done by incompetent persons. This, indeed, is a concern, particularly when persons lacking professional training pass themselves off as ergonomists or human factors professionals or tout their services as a panacea for almost anything. It is one of the major reasons that both establishing educational standards for professional education in human factors/ergonomics and professional certification have become top priority issues for the International Ergonomics Association and, indeed, for many national human factors/ergonomics societies and governmental groups, such as the European Union. Another reason, well known to us, is that “everyone is an operator” (Mallett, 1995). Everyone “operates” systems on a daily basis, such as an automobile, computer, television, and telephone; thus, it is very easy to naively assume from our operator experience that human factors is nothing more than “common sense.” Most experienced ergonomists have their own personal list of “common sense” engineering design decisions that have resulted in serious accidents, fatalities, or just plain poor usability. Buy me a beer and I’ll be glad to tell you some of my personal ergonomics “war stories.” I also would refer you to Steve Casey’s book, Set Phasers on Stun (Santa Barbara, CA: Aegean; ISBN 0-9636178-7-7 hc). Third, I believe we sometimes expect organizational decision makers to proactively support human factors/ergonomics simply because it is the right thing to do. Like God, mother, and apple pie, it is hard to argue against doing anything that may better the human condition, and so that alone should be a compelling argument for actively supporting the use of our discipline. In reality, managers have to be able to justify any investment in terms of its concrete benefits to the organization – to the organization’s ability to be competitive and survive. That something “is the right thing to do” is, by itself, an excellent but decidedly insufficient reason for managers actually doing it. Finally, and perhaps most important, as a group, we have done a poor job of documenting and advertising the cost-benefits of good ergonomics – of getting the word out that most often, good ergonomics is good economics. In fact, that the ergonomics of economics is the economics of ergonomics. As one attempt to rectify this situation, I want to share with you a broad spectrum of ergonomics applications that my predecessor as HFES president, Tom Eggemeier, and I have collected from within the United States and elsewhere, in which the costs and economic benefits were documented.