Macroergonomic Approaches to Creating Real Change

Abstract

Creating the global village very much attach to a macroergonomic approach to work life issues theoretically, empirically and in action. The underlying paradigm in macroergonomics is very much the same in various countries and may only differ regarding terminology. In this symposium we will enjoy the experiences from the North American pioneers and one Japanese pioneer.

The world around us is being transformed during the past few years. Technical development, primarily within the information and communication area, is both a prerequisite and a driving force for the internationalization and globalization of economy, trade, science and culture.

At the same time on another level the development of new technology, advanced and widespread use of computer technology and telecommunication and the convergence of these technologies have a profound impact on organizational and quality aspects of our lives today both at work and at home. New application areas within information industry are emerging in the integration of communications, computer and media.

The span of control for human intervention might seem to shrink when we take use of more integrated technical solutions. On the other hand the structures in work life built during the industrialized era seem to break down and new organizational structures characterized by networking and virtual organizations, are offering new forms for human influence and interventions. Education and training have a key role for taking advantage of the opportunities and foreseeing the risks.

Recent discussions about the role of ergonomists have centered around our role as change agents who are also trained as scientists. This scientist/practitioner dual identity can cause difficulties in implementing ergonomics. The purpose of this panel is to present macroergonomic strategies for creating change. Panelists will present structural, strategic, and participatory macroergonomic approaches. These approaches provide a larger framework from which we can understand our role, our research, ergonomic knowledge, and how to implement meaningful change in organizations. Without this overarching framework, ergonomics remains an interesting but impractical means for example in the field of transferring technology. Moreover these implementation issues confront people everyday in the expansion of organizations and technology across an ever shrinking global village.

With or without ergonomic input, people and organizations are making changes every day that profoundly influence human performance and behavior. There are many examples that these change efforts fail. The papers will argue that these failures are rooted in the technical, structural and process focus of these changes, without considering the human. The macroergonomic strategies to be presented suggest routes on a larger road map to create meaningful change. This is even more important in the near future, when goals of sustainable environments are set.

When capital and technology as well as people become increasingly and rapidly mobile at the global level, the strength of the local competence and know-how environment will become of greater significance for the development and prosperity of the individual countries and for the living conditions of their citizens. Competence to cope with the rapid pace of change will become ever more essential. Global villages are being created in the countryside around the world, with the use of information technology. Electronic marketplaces are used to strengthen small enterprises, to create new professional roles, and to strengthen the citizen's role. Adapting a perspective of macroergonomics is crucial.

Guiding principles for a national information technology investment are formulated both in USA and Europe where also questions are brought up regarding information support for innovative industry, distance education, decentralized work and distributed civic information.