Organizations are addressing problems resulting from increasing international competition and complex technologies by implementing participative management techniques. Recent evidence suggests that participatory ergonomics can be an effective, cost-efficient method for solving a variety of production, human factors, and safety related problems. This paper presents an example of how participative management has been used effectively in introducing human factors, sociotechnical, and safety change in a large international organization. Case studies such as this one demonstrate how participation can reduce costs, training requirements, injuries, and absenteeism.
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