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towards economic-technical disciplines, which exclusively aims at the optimization of the work result.
Therefore, the requirement of ergonomics must proceed from a human conception, which regards
humans, on the one hand, as a performance generator in work systems and, on the other hand, as a
complex nature whose needs are to be considered during the work system design. Complexity results
from the various, inter-individual performance rates and motives of humans, which can change depend-
ing on the situation and the course of time.
5.3.1.3 Limitations of the Application of Work System Approach
Even if the work system approach can be applied in principle to different levels — from a single execution
via the work place and the entire enterprise to interplant cooperation — the level of workplaces is
emphasized. Hereby, the workplace is understood as the spatial range in a work system in which the
work task is performed by an employee. This focus on the level of the workplace in the application of
the work system approach may be connected above all to the fact that the system approach was developed
in a time, which was influenced by industrial mass production and high division of labor. Accordingly,
work systems were arranged in such a way that an individual working person had to execute simple,
short-cyclic, and repetitive activities. The work was determined to a great extent by working methods
specified in the job order and by technology. Ergonomic efforts for the improvement of labor situation
for industrial workers with the help of humane design of workplaces came to the fore.
Today, however, industrial manufacturing is characterized by a high variety of products and variants.
Mass production was replaced gradually by a series production with small- and middle-sized batches in
many industries. Work organization was also developed further because of these changed requirements.
Thus, decentralized team and process-orientated work systems, which regulate themselves exceedingly
and are flexible to react to changing requirements can be found in many enterprises. The borderlines
of work systems are shifted because of the implementation of teamwork. Groups do not only realize
executive tasks, but also tasks of regularization, preservation, and optimization within the work
system. Rules are no longer set only by the environment of a work system, but are also the result of
group-dynamic processes. A control of work systems at group level is carried out increasingly today
through target agreements between groups and supervisor.
Moreover, the importance of the service sector in the western industrial nations increases. Services
are characterized by the integration of the customers or of a factor, which are imported by the last-
mentioned. The work system approach is to be modified to the extent that the “work object” in accordance
with the work system conception outlined earlier can also concern a subject, in this case, the customer.
During the following description of the individual elements of a work system the changes in the general
conditions are considered.
5.3.2 Elements of a Work System
5.3.2.1 Working Person
Referring to the working person, several dimensions of human work capacity can be distinguished theor-
etically, even if it is difficult to account for the differentiation in dimensions in a metrological way con-
cerning the concrete application. These dimensions are called, on the one hand, ability and, on the other
hand, willingness to perform. In regards to ability the characteristics, which cause the achievement structure
of a working person are considered physiologically as achievement capacity of the organs and
or organ
/
systems and psychologically as achievement potential of psychological functions and
or appropriate com-
ponents. Willingness to perform is determined physiologically by the excitation level of organs and
/
or organ
systems in the psychological sense by achievement attitudes and motives such as needs, interests, intentions,
or convictions. Components of the willingness to perform are, thus, a necessary condition, in order to utilize
the existing potential of abilities. This means that only people who are physiologically above a certain exci-
tation level (e.g., muscle tonus) and those who are additionally motivated (psychological dimension) can
achieve the performance level, which they are enabled to achieve due to their physiological and psychological
characteristics.
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