MACROERGONOMICS
Ergonomics is about
designing for people, wherever they interact with products, systems or
processes.
Macroergonomics or Organizational ergonomics is concerned with the optimization of socio-technical systems, including their organizational structures, policies, and processes. (Relevant topics include communication, crew resource management, work design, work systems, design of working times, teamwork, participatory design, community ergonomics, cooperative work, new work programs, virtual organizations, telework, and quality management.)
Hence we can say that, Macroergonomics, is the field of science that concentrates on designing overall work systems (WS) by providing the knowledge and methods necessary for the improvement of work systems and, thus, developing the effectiveness and performance of companies (Hendricks, 1996).
The process…
The process typically
involves designing, analysing, developing, and improving work systems.
Macro-level problems cannot be solved by micro-level solutions, but micro-level
problems can be solved with macro-level solutions.
In contrast with
(micro)ergonomics, which deals with human-machine, human-task, human-interface,
usability, and safety-type issues in the workplace, macroergonomics is a
system-level approach to designing the interaction between humans and
technology and to understanding how activities and processes are organized to
produce products and services for customers.
Macroergonomics aims at a
holistic understanding of how work is designed from the top-down, in such a way
that macroergonomic design is considered first, work system design second, and
microergonomic design last.. The concept of socio-technical systems (STS) in
organisational development provides a theoretical foundation for
macroergonomics. STS explores how people and technology interact in the
workplace.
Socio-Technical Systems
The more complex work
systems become, the more important it is to understand the interaction between
humans and technology.
The main concepts of STS
are humans, tasks, structure, technology (hardware and software), and
processes, as well as regulations, policies, and culture. According to
macroergonomics, socio-technical work systems consist of five elements:
• Technology is needed to carry out the goals set for the
work system. With the help of technology, tasks and problems can be solved.
• People (personnel) occupy a core role in work systems,
since only people can achieve goals with the help of technology. Important
aspects regarding people include competence, demographics, psychosocial
factors, and teams.
• Organisational design specifies how technology and people
are organised and managed together in work systems. Contemporary areas include
lean processes and digitalisation.
• The external environment is something that cannot be
influenced from inside work systems.
• The internal environment includes considerations such as
the psychosocial and physical environment and cultures that are not part of the
system design.
