NEW TECHNOLOGY, AUTOMATION, AND WORK ORGANIZATION - STRESS PROBLEMS AND IMPROVED TECHNOLOGY IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGIES

From the turn of the century to today there has been a revolution in the technology in use at the workplace. Coupled with this has been a major change in the way in which work is organized and managed. The integration of technology and how work is designed, organized, and managed have not always been smooth, as there has often been lags between the application of workplace automation and workplace design to accommodate the new technology and workforce needs. New theories of work organization and design to address automation and workforce issues have emphasized the need for more workforce involvement in the planning for automation and during the implementation of new technology, and for better workplace design to enhance human-machine interfaces. Theories such as sociotechnical systems, macroergonomics, and high involvement management provide some insight into the problems of automation and solutions. The balance theory of Smith and Carayon-Sainfort (1989) provides a framework for successful implementation of automation. (C) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.