Sustainable Work Systems: A Challenge for Macroergonomics?

Abstract

OCCUPATIONAL APPLICATIONS This article addresses the consequences of the sustainability paradigm for the field of human factors/ergonomics. It describes the state of the art in research and practice. Further, since the term “sustainable work system” not only refers to one socio-technical system or organization, the “traditional” definition of macroergonomics is also discussed. After addressing which requirements have to be fulfilled for work systems to be considered “sustainable,” the consequences for the human factors discipline—and with it the consequences for ergonomics and human factors practitioners—are discussed as well. Since one has to examine the entire value creation chains and life cycles of products, it becomes obvious that a development such as this one will change our understanding of “traditional” ergonomics as a whole, and of macroergonomics in particular. This leads to a broadening of the discipline, demanding new insights and new role definitions. As sustainability or sustainable development is closely related to corporate social responsibility, ergonomists are able to support the respective activities within organizations, particularly by advising purchasing departments on the consequences of specific demands placed on work systems in developing countries, for example, or along the entire life-cycle of a product.