Effects of Organizational Macroergonomic Compatibility Elements over Manufacturing Systems’ Performance

Resumen

This paper examines the effects of organizational macroergonomic compatibility elements over manufacturing systems performance from four companies located in the city of Ciudad Juarez, México. Current studies scarcely address the relationship that exists among the factors and their elements included in the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS) macroergonomic model and the benefits they may generate on manufacturing systems’ performance. The SEIPS model includes macroergonomic factors such as person, organization, technology and tools, tasks, and environment, and it has been adapted for manufacturing systems. This paper is focused on the analysis of the relationship among the macroergonomic organizational elements (elements of the factor organization) included in the SEIPS model, and the benefits that these elements may generate on manufacturing systems performance using a structural equation modelling approach. Results indicate that macroergonomic organizational elements like organizational culture and organizational communication have a direct effect over clients and an indirect effect over the manufacturing processes and the growth of the companies. These results can offer some relevant and new knowledge to develop macroergonomic strategies for manufacturing systems in order to increase their competitiveness. Additionally, knowledge about direct and indirect effects derived from organizational elements over manufacturing systems greatly supports the design and improvement of these systems. © 2015 The Authors