Macroergonomics and total quality management: how to improve quality of working life?
In this paper, we present a macroergonomic model of work design that is applied and tested to examine Total Quality Management (TQM) in the public sector. According to the model, TQM can influence different aspects of work design and quality of working life (QWL). Questionnaire data collected in 2 public sector organizations in the USA show that TQM can have both positive and negative impact on work design and QWL. The main positive impact of TQM was found on job content, job control and participation, and social relationships. The main negative impact of TQM was on workload, uncertainty, and clarity of job duties. The impact of TQM on QWL was mixed. Our results show that the impact of TQM on work design and QWL varied very much across the 6 participating departments, as well as within the departments. Further research is warranted to assess the human impact of TQM, in particular research on the linkage between various aspects of TQM, on one hand, and work design and QWL, on the other hand.
Carayon
P
P
Ecole des Mines de Nancy, France. carayon@engr.wisc.edu
Sainfort
F
F
Smith
M J
MJ
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D006804:Ergonomics; D006801:Humans; D016272:Occupational Health; D019982:Organizational Case Studies; D017150:Public Sector; D011788:Quality of Life; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017749:Total Quality Management; D017132:Workplace