Citation

Village J, Searcy C, Salustri F, Neumann WP. Ergonomics 2015; 58(9): 1529-1546.

Affiliation

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering , Ryerson University , Toronto , Ontario , M5B 2K3 .

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00140139.2015.1022232

PMID

25708556

Abstract

The "design for human factors" grounded theory explains "how" human factors (HF) went from a reactive, after-injury program in safety, to being proactively integrated into each step of the production design process. In this longitudinal case study collaboration with engineers and HF Specialists in a large electronics manufacturer, qualitative data (eg. meetings, interviews, observations, reflections) were analyzed using a grounded theory methodology. The central tenet in the theory is that when HF Specialists acclimated to the engineering process, language and tools, and strategically aligned HF to design and business goals of the organization, HF became a means to improve business performance. This led to engineers "pulling" HF Specialists onto their team. HF targets were adopted into engineering tools to communicate HF concerns quantitatively, drive continuous improvement, visibly demonstrate change, and lead to benchmarking. Senior management held engineers accountable for HF as a key performance indicator, thus integrating HF into the production design process.

Language: en