Marketing participatory ergonomics: current trends and methods to enhance organizational effectiveness

New philosophies and practices are emerging in organizations which are designed, developed and operated using employee participation and involvement. A number of forces for change, both organizational and environmental, have come into focus and which appear to be directly related to the employment of participatory management techniques. In order for an organization to become and remain effective, it must be able to change and adapt to these forces. Participative management is described as the process of moving information, knowledge, rewards and power to lower organizational levels. This approach serves to alter the very nature of the work itself and directly impacts the jobs of everyone concerned. A contingency model of participation is advocated based upon the notion that no one approach will be effective in all situations, but that most approaches can be effective under a given set of conditions. Selection of the proper approach is essential, and it becomes incumbent upon the ergonomist to be able to influence management to employ those techniques most appropriate to the organization-environment situation: this is the 'marketing' of participatory ergonomics. Major participatory approaches are discussed, and principal contingency factors are identified. It is concluded that top management must become committed to adoption of the relevant participatory techniques. Marketing efforts which result in such commitment are the critical first step in the successful employment of participatory ergonomics.