This article illustrates the potential contribution of macroergonomics by: 1) identifying four contemporary issues that organizations face and 2) demonstrating how a macroergonomic approach can help. These issues represent four levels of analysis — individual, job design, organizational, and environmental. In addition to demonstrating its utility, the illustration is intended to generate action toward meeting these challenges.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
BennisW.NanusB. (1985). Leaders, Harper & Row: New York.
2.
ImadaA.S. (1982). Productivity and worker involvement in the Japanese organization. Proceedings of the Human Factors Society 26th Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
3.
ImadaA.S. (1986). Assessing cross-cultural supervisory skills training: Preliminary results comparing American and Chinese samples. In BrownO.Jr.HendrickH.W. (Eds.), Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management-II, North-Holland: Amsterdam, pp. 337–341.
4.
ImadaA.S.NoroK.NagamachiM. (1986). Participatory ergonomics: Methods for improving individual and organizational effectiveness. In BrownO.Jr.HendrickH.W. (Eds.) Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management-II.North Holland: Amsterdam, pp. 403–406.
5.
ImadaA.S.RobertsonM. (1987). Cultural perspectives on participatory ergonomics. Proceedings of Human Factors Society 31st Annual Meeting. New York, NY.
6.
KogiK. (1985). Participatory approach in applying ergonomics for workplace improvement in developing countries. In BrownI.D.GoldsmithR.CoombesK.SinclairM.A. (Eds.) Ergonomics 85.Taylor & Francis: London, 370–372.
LawlerE.E.III (1986). High-involvement management.Jossey Bass: San Francisco.
9.
LawlerE.E.IIIRenwickP.A.BullockR.J. (1981). Employee influence on decisions: An analysis. Journal of Occupational Behavior, 2, 115–123.
10.
NaisbittJ. (1982). Megatrends.Warner: New York.
11.
NoroK. (1985). Need for participative approach of ergonomics and company-wide ergonomic activities. In BrownI.D.GoldsmithR.CoombesK.SinclairM.A. (Eds.) Ergonomics 85, Taylor & Francis: London, pp. 361–363.
12.
NoroK.KogiK.ImadaA.S. (1986). The current state of participatory ergonomics in the world. Japanese Journal of Ergonomics, 22, April, 208–209 (in Japanese).
13.
SchonbergerR.J. (1982). Japanese manufacturing techniques.Free Press: London.
14.
TofflerA. (1980). The third wave.Bantam: New York.
15.
WisnerA. (1984). Organisation transfer towards industrially developing countries. In HendrickH.W.BrownO.Jr. (Eds.) Human Factors in Organizational Design and Management.North-Holland: Amsterdam, pp. 83–95.