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Designing sustainable work systems: the need for a systems approach
1Institut für Technologie und Arbeit e.V., University of Kaiserslautern, Kaiserslautern, Germany.
Applied Ergonomics
|April 24, 2013
Summary
Sustainability is increasingly relevant for companies, impacting human factors and requiring a re-evaluation of work systems. Defining sustainable work systems necessitates considering social, ecological, and economic goals within a life-cycle perspective.
Area of Science:
- Human Factors and Ergonomics
- Sustainability Science
- Organizational Studies
Background:
- The discourse on sustainability has evolved from societal and environmental concerns to encompass corporate relevance.
- The social dimension of the three-pillar sustainability approach (economic, ecological, social) is gaining prominence.
- This shift prompts critical questions about the integration of sustainability into human factors and ergonomics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the current role of sustainability within human factors thinking.
- To define the concept of sustainable work systems.
- To identify key considerations and potential new perspectives for human factors regarding sustainability.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of sustainability in relation to human factors.
- Exploration of systems ergonomics principles for value creation chains.
- Consideration of life-cycle perspectives for products and work systems.
Main Results:
- Sustainability is not yet fully integrated into human factors, indicating a need for disciplinary development.
- Sustainable work systems require a holistic approach encompassing social, ecological, and economic dimensions.
- A systems ergonomics perspective is proposed for analyzing value creation chains and product life cycles.
Conclusions:
- Human factors must adapt to address the complexities of sustainability.
- Defining and implementing sustainable work systems is crucial for future organizational and societal well-being.
- Addressing potential conflicts between social, ecological, and economic goals is essential for achieving true sustainability.
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