The main objective of this study was to develop a method for systemic-structural analysis and design of manufacturing assembly operations based on the activity theory. The "activity" was defined as behavior distinctively specific to workers, associated with mobilizations and realization of conscious manufacturing goals. The fundamental units of analysis of activity are actions that are both motor and mental. Activity is considered as a complicated structure of actions that are logically ordered in space and time. Each action is comprised of different operations. The building blocks of motor actions are motions. The building blocks of cognitive actions are mental operations. Activity integrates not merely cognitive and behavioral components, but the energy components as well. The proposed methodology is illustrated using an example of two manufacturing assembly operations.
A comprehensive evaluation of work-related performance factors is a prerequisite to developing integrated and long-term solutions to workplace performance improvement. This paper describes a work-factor classification system that categorizes the entire domain of workplace factors impacting performance. A questionnaire-based instrument was developed to implement this classification system in industry. Fifty jobs were evaluated in 4 different service and manufacturing companies using the proposed questionnaire-based instrument. The reliability coefficients obtained from the analyzed jobs were considered good (0.589 to 0.862). In general, the physical work factors resulted in higher reliability coefficients (0.847 to 0.862) than non-physical work factors (0.589 to 0.768).
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