Premium
Acting within the boundaries of work systems development
Author(s) -
Béguin Pascal
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
human factors and ergonomics in manufacturing and service industries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.408
H-Index - 39
eISSN - 1520-6564
pISSN - 1090-8471
DOI - 10.1002/hfm.20258
Subject(s) - boundary (topology) , work (physics) , promotion (chess) , frame (networking) , boundary work , process (computing) , professional boundaries , computer science , knowledge management , limit (mathematics) , sociology , engineering , political science , public relations , mathematics , mechanical engineering , social science , mathematical analysis , telecommunications , politics , law , operating system
This article proposes a model for analyzing and acting on the relationship between design and ergonomics. In applying their knowledge and methods in design processes, ergonomists encounter constraints that frame, orient, and limit their professional practices. It is argued that these constraints stem from the organizational boundaries of the design process. One of the challenges of ergonomics is to act on these boundaries to define constraints that contribute to or facilitate the promotion of workers' health and productive efficiency. This analytical model is applied to work systems development. Three types of organizational boundary (namely, “goal‐oriented boundaries,” “time boundaries,” and “collective boundaries”) and their constraints are identified, and proposals to act on those boundaries are discussed. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.