Ergonomics principles in the design of work systems

AbstractNew technologies are ever evolving and have the power to change human work for the better or the worse depending on the implementation. For human–robot interaction (HRI), it is decisive how humans and robots will share tasks and who will be in charge for decisions on task allocation. The aim of this online experiment was to examine the influence of different decision agents on the perception of a task allocation process in HRI. We assume that inclusion of the worker in the allocation will create more perceived work resources and will lead to more satisfaction with the allocation and the work results than a decision made by another agent. To test these hypotheses, we used a fictional production scenario where tasks were allocated to the participant and a robot. The allocation decision was either made by the robot, by an organizational unit, or by the participants themselves. We then looked for differences between those conditions. Our sample consisted of 151 people. In multiple ANOVAs, we could show that satisfaction with the allocation process, the solution, and with the result of the work process was higher in the condition where participants themselves were given agency in the allocation process compared to the other two. Those participants also experienced more task identity and autonomy. This has implications for the design of allocation processes: The inclusion of workers in task allocation can play a crucial role in leveraging the acceptance of HRI and in designing humane work systems in Industry 4.0.

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Brahms: simulating practice for work systems design

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies ◽

10.1006/ijhc.1998.0229 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 49 (6) ◽

pp. 831-865 ◽

Cited By ~ 83

Author(s):

WILLIAM J. CLANCEY ◽

PATRICIA SACHS ◽

MAARTEN SIERHUIS ◽

RON VAN HOOF

Keyword(s):

Systems Design ◽

Work Systems

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Mobile Collaboration Support for Virtual Teams

Journal of Database Management ◽

10.4018/jdm.2017070103 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 28 (3) ◽

pp. 48-69 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Keng Siau ◽

Min Ling

Keyword(s):

Virtual Teams ◽

Virtual Team ◽

Virtual Collaboration ◽

Conceptual Foundation ◽

Work Systems ◽

Team Members ◽

Development Teams ◽

Geographically Distributed ◽

Qualitative Technique ◽

Sophisticated Technology

Organizations increasingly depend on virtual teams in which geographically distributed individuals use sophisticated technology to interact and collaborate. With the advancement of mobile and wireless technology, mobile support for collaboration among virtual team members is becoming increasingly important and popular. In this research, we study the values of mobile support for virtual team members. Using the qualitative technique, Value-Focused Thinking approach, proposed by Keeney, we interviewed 30 subjects who were involved in information systems development teams and asked them the values of mobile support for virtual collaboration. This study uses Alter's Work Systems Theory as the conceptual foundation.

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