A series of organizational design and management (ODAM) challenges have emerged in recent decades that call for a reappraisal of the field of macroergonomics. These challenges can be grouped into three categories: updates to the sociotechnical systems model, and structural and transactional ODAM factors. The first two map to recent trends in globalization, technology, and demographics. The latter one maps to a series of new types of transactional demands on management related to community support, customer treatment, diversity, environmental impact, social media, sustainability, quality performance and treatment of workers. This analysis underscores that ODAM is a highly dynamic process mediated by the creation, retention and transfer of knowledge within an organization, defined as organizational learning. We conclude that this updated perspective of macroergonomics will improve the likelihood of this E/HF sub discipline remaining relevant in the face of a growing number of new challenges faced by present-day organizations.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
ArgyrisC.SchönD.A. (1978), Organizational learning: a theory of action perspective. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
2.
AzevedoG.ZandeP.ImadaA.S. (1997). Sustaining safety and profitability through macroergonomics in a shipping operation. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 41stAnnual Meeting (pp. 749-752). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
3.
Bagehot (2019). Learning from Ruskin. The Economist (Feb. 9), 49.
4.
BalterM. (2012). New light on revolutions that weren’t. Science336(6081), 530-531.
5.
BrownO.Jr. (2002). Macroergonomics methods: participation. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macroergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 2, pp. 25-44). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
6.
CarayonP. (2014). Macroergonomics in healthcare: past, present and future of the SEIPS (Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety) approach. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 58th Annual Meeting (pp. 1541-1545). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
7.
CoaseR.H. (1937). The nature of the firm. Economica4(16), 386-405.
8.
CrosbyJ. (2019). A ‘purpose-driven company.’ In Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) (February12), D1,D3.
The Economist (2019). Making it in America. The Economist (Feb. 9), 53-54.
11.
FarrellC. (2014). Unretirement: how baby boomers are changing the way we think about work, community, and the good life. New York: Bloomsbury Press.
12.
FreemanM. (2019). Calif. firms face deadline to add women to boards. In Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) (January20), K1.
13.
GibbonsA. (2014). How we tamed ourselves—and became modern. Science346(6208), 405-406.
14.
HaimsM.C. (2002). Enhancing patient safety and quality of care using a macroergonomics systems approach. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 46th Annual Meeting (p. 1384). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
15.
HaimsM.CarayonP. (1998). Theory and practice for the implementation of “in-house” continuous improvement participatory ergonomics programs. Applied Ergonomics29(6), 461-472.
16.
HendrickH.W. (1980). Human factors in management. Presented at the symposium on professional planning, 1980-2000, at the Human Factors Society 24th Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA.
17.
HendrickH.W. (2000). Introduction to macroergonomics. Proceedings of the IEA2000/HFES200 Congress (pp. 2-539 – 2-542). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
18.
HendrickH.W. (2002a). An overview of macroergonomics. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macro-ergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 1, pp. 1-23). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
19.
HendrickH.W. (2002b). Macroergonomic methods: assessing work system structure. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macroergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 3, pp. 45-66). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
20.
HendrickH.W. (2002c). Other methods for assessing work systems. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macroergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 5, pp. 97-110). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
21.
HendrickH.W. (2002d). Macroergonomics methods: an overview. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 46th Annual Meeting (p. 1350). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
22.
HendrickH.W.CarayonP.RobertsonM.KleinerB.M. (2005). The state, trends and future of macroergonomics. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 49th Annual Meeting (p. 1498). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
23.
HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.) (2002). Macroergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
24.
HenningR.A.ArmsteadA.G.FerrisJ.K. (2009). Social psychophysiological compliance in a four-person research team. Applied Ergonomics40, 1004-1010.
25.
ImadaA.S. (1987). Macroergonomics: integrating human factors and organizational behavior approaches to organizational design and management. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 31st Annual Meeting (pp. 166-167). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
26.
ImadaA.S. (2002). A macroergonomic approach to reducing work-related injuries. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macroergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 8, pp. 151-171). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
27.
KarshB.-T. (2003). Macroergonomics in health care: improving work design to improve employee and patient safety. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 47th Annual Meeting (pp. 1404-1405). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
28.
KarwowskiW.KantolaJ.RodrickD.SalvendyG. (2002). Macroergo-nomic aspects of manufacturing. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macroergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 11, pp. 223-247). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
29.
KleinerB.M. (2008). Macroegonomics: work system analysis and design. Human Factors50(3), 461-467.
30.
KurzbanR.BarrettH.C. (2012). Origins of cumulative culture. Science335(6072), 1056-1057.
MeshkatiN. (2002a). Macroergonomics and aviation safety: the importance of cultural factors in technology transfer. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macro-ergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 16, pp. 323-330). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
33.
MeshkatiN. (2002b). Macroergonomic root causes of large-scale accidents: Three-Mile Island, Bhopa., Chernobyl. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macro-ergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 11, pp. 331-345). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
34.
McGrathM. (2018). Meet America’s new regulator: Adam Smith. Forbes (December31), 201(10), 54-68.
35.
MoenP. (2016). Encore adulthood: boomers on the edge of risk, renewal, and purpose. New York: Oxford University Press.
36.
NobregaSKernanLPlaku-AlakbarovaBRobertsonMWarrenNHenningR, et al. (2017). Field tests of a participatory ergonomics toolkit for Total Worker Health. Applied Ergonomics, 60, 366–79.
37.
NowakM.A. (2012). How we help. Scientific American307(1) (July), 34-39.
38.
RobertsonM.MajchzarkA. (1987). Advanced manufacturing technology development: a macro-ergonomics perspective. Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 31st Annual Meeting (pp. 1156-1160). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
39.
RobertsonM.KleinerB.M.O’NeillM.J. (2002). Macroergonomic methods: assessing work system processes. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macroergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 4, pp. 67-96). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
40.
RobertsonM. M.HenningR. A.WarrenN.NobregaS.Dove SteinkampM.TibiricaL.BizarroA. (2013). The Intervention Design and Analysis Scorecard: A planning tool for participatory design of integrated health and safety interventions in the workplace. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 55, S86–S88.
41.
RobertsonM.M.TubbsD.HenningR.A.NobregaS.CalvoA.MurphyL. (2018). Designing an organizational readiness survey for total worker health workplace initiatives. International Ergonomics Association Triennial Congress, Florence Italy. www.iea.cc.org
42.
RosenbergJ.M. (2018). Firms upend cultures as they compete for workers. In Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) (December24), D2.
43.
SmithA. (1776, 1977). An inquiry into the nature and causes of the wealth of nations. Chicago: University Of Chicago Press.
44.
SmithJ.H.CohenW.J.ConwayF.T.CarayonP.BayehA.D.SmithM.J. (2002). Community ergonomics. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macroergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 14, pp. 289-309). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
45.
SmithT.J. (2002). Macroergonomics of hazard management. In HendrickH.W.KleinerB.M. (Eds.), Macro-ergonomics. Theory, methods, and applications (Chap. 10, pp. 199-221). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
46.
SmithT.J.HenningR.H. (2017). The productivity paradox – a distracted working hypothesis. Presented to the Work, Stress and Health 2017 Conference (June 8). Minneapolis, MN: The American Psychological Association, The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, and The Society for Occupational Health Psychology.
47.
SmithT.J.HenningR.H. (2018). The nature of the firm ---a social cybernetic analysis. In BagnaraS.TartagliaR.AlbolinoS.AlexanderT.FujitaY. (Eds.), Proceedings of the 20th Congress of the International Ergonomics Association (IEA 2018). Volume IV: Organizational Design and Management (ODAM), Professional Affairs, Forensic (pp. 276-285). Springer: New York.
48.
SmithT.J.HenningR.H. (2019). The nature of the firm ---a social cybernetic analysis. WORK: A Journal of Prevention, Assessment & Rehabilitation. Accepted for publication.
49.
SmithT.J.WadeM.G.HenningR.FisherT. (2015). Variability in human performance. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press.
50.
SzathmáryE. (2011). To group or not to group?Science334(6063), 1648-1649.
51.
TristE.L.BamforthK.W. (1951). Some social and psychological consequences of the longwall method of coal-getting. Human Relations4, 3-38.
52.
WatsonJ.SmithT.J.KraemerS.HalversonR.WoodcockA. (2009). Macroergonomics in education: on your mark, set, GO!Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society 47th Annual Meeting (pp. 1042-1046). Santa Monica, CA: Human Factors and Ergonomics Society.
53.
WoolleyA.W.ChabrisC.F.PentlandA.HashmiN.MaloneT.W. (2010) Evidence for a collective intelligence factor in the performance of human groups. Science330 (6004), 686-688.
