A good example of workplace innovation is to design a dialogue between engineers and HR-professionals - Peter Oeij & Frank Pot

Modern Sociotechnics (MST) has design criteria for both effective organisations and jobs with good quality of work. Among HR professionals, often with backgrounds in psychology and HRM, MST falls on little to no notice. Recent developments in the psychological study of "work design" have led to the SMART work design model, led by Sharon Parker. SMART combines insights about psychological needs and motivation at the person and group level with organisational conditions. Those organisational conditions are not developed in SMART, but they are in MST. Isn't it a good idea to connect the two and thus bring the HR professional into conversation with the "engineer," or organisational designer?
In this contribution, we begin by stating the importance of quality of work for both organisation and personnel. We place this in the light of the 'future of work' in the context of digitalisation and 'Industry 5.0' (with 'human-centricity' as an important pillar). We then outline how the connection of MST and SMART Work Design can meet the requirement for high quality work. We conclude with actions for stakeholders and recommendations for research. Our conclusion is that this connection breathes new life into the labour debate. Companies should become more human-centric. Organisational and job design are crucial to do this. But psychology alone, nor a pure engineering approach are the right way to go. Alignment is needed. The prerequisite is that the HR professional and the engineer understand each other better.

1. Co-funded by the
Funded by the European Union under grant agreement No 101069651 and No 101135884. The contents of this publication are however the sole responsibility of the BRIDGES 5.0 and the
SEISMEC project consortium only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or HADEA. Neither the European Union nor HADEA can be held responsible for them.
A good example of workplace innovation is
to design a dialogue between engineers
and HR-professionals
Paperpresentationfor“EUWIN Conference: The Future of Workplace Innovation”;
Donostia-San Sebastian, BasqueCountry –Spain|1-3October2024
1October 2024
DrPeterOeij/ProfFrank Pot / TNO,Netherlands

2. Content
-1.Basis:thelinkbetweenSMARTandModernSociotechnical
systemsdesign(MST).
-2.Whyisthisrelevantforpsychologists/HRProfessionals?
-3.Qualityofwork:HRprofessionalmeettheengineers.
-4.Sociotechnicaldesignrules.
-5.Lookingforward:Industry5.0andtheFutureofWork.
Bridges5.0isaEU
researchprojecton
digitalisation, Industry5.0
and workforceskills
https://bridges5-0.eu/
contact:
[email protected]
3
SEISMEC is aEU
demonstrationand
researchprojecton
human-centricityin
sociotechnicalcontexts
https://seismec.eu
[email protected]

3. Content
-1.Basis: thelinkbetweenSMARTandModernSociotechnical
systemsdesign(MST).
-2.Whyisthisrelevantforpsychologists/HRProfessionals?
-3.Qualityofwork:HRprofessionalmeettheengineers.
-4.Sociotechnicaldesignrules.
-5.Lookingforward:Industry5.0andtheFutureofWork.
3
Mainmessage:socialscientistsmustjoinforcesto
combatthethreatof'technologicaldeterminism'inthe
worldofpractitioners

5. 6

6. 1212
IntegralsystemrequirementsOrganisationalculturaldesign
criteria
Organisational structuraldesign
criteria
Linktoorganising
conditions
HumanneedsWorkcharacteristicsSMARTmodel
(Parkeretal.)
•Lawofrequitevariety:externalvarietymustbemet
byinternalvariety,i.e.internalcontroloptions/
designactivejobs
•
Opportunityoflearning(new
skills)•
Minimisedivisionoflabour
•
Maximiselearningnewskills/
jobenrichment
•Technologytoaugmentwork
Horizontaldivision
oflabour
•Challenge
appraisals
•Work
meaningfulness
•Taskvariety
•Skillvariety
•Problem-solvingrequirements
•Informationprocessing
requirements
Stimulating
work
characteristics
•
Reductionofstructuralcomplexitybyreductionof
interfaces
•
Parallelisationoforder varietyintohomogeneous
sub-streams
•
Combineexecutive,preparatory,andmanaging
taskssupportingofsub-streams,andallocatesuch
‘wholetasks’(self-regulation) toautonomousgroups
(segmentation)
•
Decentralisationofauthoritywheneverpossible
•
Minimizecriticalspecification/minimisemonitoring
andcontrollingAIandML
•Presenceofleadershipand
mentoringtolearnnewroles/
growthinroles
•Sharedleadership
•Optionsforself-management
andself-selection
•
Decentralisationin divisionof
labour/limitedhierarchy/low
formalisation
•Autonomousteamwork
•
AI/MLasachoice
Verticaldivisionof
labour
•
Work
meaningfulness
•Timingautonomy
•Methodautonomy
•Decision-making
autonomy
Autonomous
work
characteristics
•Teamworkimpliescontrol-capacity,coordination,
collaboration,social support,usesoftalents,
enrichment,learningopportunities
•
Functional deconcentrationofinformation
(groupingifrequiredinformationanddata)/access
todata/augmentingfunctionof(information)
systems
•
Workerparticipationin
organisationalchange/renewal
•
Contributetoinnovation
•
Democraticdialogue
•Maximiseopeninformation
aboutcompanyresultsand
strategy
Co-ordinationand
integrationvia
information
•Challenge
appraisals
•(Lower)Activated
negativeaffect
•Jobfeedback
•Feedbackfrom
others
•Roleclarity
Masterywork
characteristics
•Integratecontrol-cyclestominimisecomplexityin
interactions(nodalnetwork)
•
Cooperationbasedon
human(ist)respect(equality
diversityandinclusiveness)/
matureemployment
relationships/labourrelations/
commitmentdrivenHRsystem
•Maximiseexternalcontrol
options
•
Maximiseconsultation atwork
/discussionofworkprogress
Co-ordinationand
integrationvia
socialprocesses
•
Work
meaningfulness
•Fulfilmentof
relatednessneeds
•Tasksignificance
•Beneficiarycontact
•Socialsupport
Relational
work
characteristics
•
Taking intoaccount the psychosocialand
physiologicalboundariesofhumanfunctioning(in
andoutsidework)
•
Task/assignmentsbasedon
achievable(non-exploitative)
productiongoalsandhuman
well-being
•Fairrewardsystem
•
Maximiseinternalcontrol
options/decisionlatitude
•
Workloadself-management
Effortrequiredto
achieveshared
organisational
goals
•(Lower)Activated
negativeaffect
•Lowroleoverload
•Lowroleconflict
•Lowwork–homeconflict
Tolerable
work
characteristics

8. EngineersvsHRprofessionals
-ensuringtherightpersonnel
-designorganisations,productionprocesses
-makingproductionprocess/products
functionallyeffectiveandcost-efficient
-design[IC]Technologytoenhanceproductivity
/product'scompetitiveness
-meetneedsofmanagement,operational
foremen,shareholders,clients/customers
-concernedwith theperson-environment-fit
-concernedwithimprovingtheskillsmatch
-meetdemandofOSH,psychosocialrisks,
musculoskeletalrisks,jobsatisfaction
limitedinsightinpeopleissues
15
limitedinsightinoperationalmanagement

10. Sharedgoals
-excellentbusinessperformance
-decentwork
-improvecompetitiveandinnovativecapabilityoftheorganisationbytechnologythat
augmentsworkersandiscomplementarytohumanskills
-longer-term perspective
ModernSocioTechnicalsystemsdesign:
-makeorganisationslessbureaucratic
-design'simpleorganisations'with'complexjobs'
-avoidunnecessarydivisionoflabour
-understandthatpeoplewithmeaningfulworkdelivermoreeffort
-donotfocusonjobsatisfaction,butonjob/taskdesignthateliminate'risks'
18

12. Controlcycle
20

13. Stimulating
Mastery
Autonomy
Relational
Tolerable
Controlcycle
25

14. Sociotechnicaldesignrules:
-Design'complete/whole'setsof
tasks:
-Deconcentrationofinformation
andaccesstodata
-Minimisedivisionoflabour,
maximiseautonomy
-Designrelationalsupportbut
avoidoverloadofnodalpoints
-Allocatevoiceconcerning
normsandoutputs
26

15. Sociotechnicaldesignrules:
-Design'complete/whole'setsof
tasks:
-Deconcentrationofinformation
andaccesstodata
-Minimisedivisionoflabour,
maximiseautonomy
-Designrelationalsupportbut
avoidoverloadofnodalpoints
-Allocatevoiceconcerning
normsandoutputs
26
Thereare 50 sociotechnical design
rulesexplainedin the paper version

16. WAWWell-beingconditions:
1.
Completejobs
2.
Non-shortcycletimetasks
3.Cognitivedifficulty
5.Interaction-network
7.Information
2.Non-shortcycletimetasks
4.Autonomy
5.Interactionnetwork
6.Organisingtasks
4.Autonomy
6.Organisingtasks
27
WAW = Well-beingat work
Sociotechnical Method to analyse and redesignjobs
[Outlinesof the WEBA-instrument: a conditionalapproach for the assessment of the qualityof
work -F.D. Pot et al. 1992, https://repository.tno.nl/SingleDoc?find=UID%208c34ccd0-f9be-41db-
a5c0-8023d78a0ed2]

17. Therearetwokindsofdrills('backandforth')
:
28
Controlcycle>SMARTmodel>MSTrules>WAWconditions
[seebefore]
WAWconditions>MSTrules>SMARTmodel
[comingnext]

18. Example:profileOperatorproductionline
29
Satisfactory1.Jobcompleteness
Limitedsatisfactory2.Non-shortcycle
timetasks
Unsatisfactory3.Cognitivedifficulty
Limitedsatisfactory4.Autonomy
Satisfactory5.Interactionnetwork
Limitedsatisfactory6.Organisingtasks
Satisfactory7.Information

19. 3030
Example:profileOperatorproductionline
Measuresatjoblevel:
-taskrotation
-taskenrichment
-workprogressconsultationMeasuresatteamlevel:
-allocateoutputresponsibility
-allocateplanning,materialmanagement
-allocatedecisionlatitude
Someexamplestoreducerisks
basedonMSTrules:

20. Thislinksback
toSMART:
Stimulating
Mastery
Autonomy
Relational
Tolerable
31

21. Takeawaymessage
32
Wedonotonlyhaveinstrumentstoimprovejobsatisfaction(SMART
model),wealsohaveinstrumentstoimprovejobquality(MST);
Jobquality(reductionofriskscausedatorganisationallevel)is
beneficialtoallworkersirrespectivetheirpersonalexperiencebecause
itis'conditional'tohuman-centric/decentwork

23. Topics
41
-Industry5.0:Resilience,sustainabilityandhuman-centricity
-Thefutureofwork:AIandMLasaugmentingandcomplementarytechnologies
-TheconversationbetweenengineersandHRprofessionals:isataskforsocialscientists
becausetechnologistslacktherighttools
-Someimplicationsforpsychological,sociological,managementandoperationalresearch:
influencethediscourseontechnologicaldesignandshareholdercapitalism
...becauseourshared aimis tohumanise
work and workingconditions

24. Thankyouforyourattention!
Presenter:
PeterOeij
[[email protected]]
Source:
PeterOeij,StevenDhondt&FietjeVaas(2024)."Modern Sociotechnicsand the SMART work design approach: a possible marriage?"
manuscript submitted to European Journal of Workplace Innovation.
PeterOeij,StevenDhondt&FietjeVaas(2024)."ConnectingtheSMARTworkdesignapproachtosociotechnical designprinciples".Paperfor
“WorkDesignforSuccess:InnovativeResearchandLeading-EdgePractice”;The2024 CentreforTransformativeWorkDesignConference,Perth,
WesternAustralia|13-14February2024.
42
42
Perth-conference PapertobefoundonResearchGate(https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Peter-Oeij)
Perth-conference PowerPointpresentationtobefoundonSlideShare(https://www.slideshare.net/PeterOeij)

25. Additional slide

26. General sociotechnical design rules