Ergonomics interventions to reduce musculoskeletal risk factors in a truck manufacturing plant

Ergonomic interventions may potentially reduce MSDs, but the context of industries (barriers, ever-changing situations, dialogue processes) might play a significant role in the success of interventions. This study evaluates the effectiveness of ergonomic interventions including engineering/technical and organizational interventions, and the involvement of the stakeholders in reducing musculoskeletal risk factors/symptoms. A pre-post-test experimental study in non-randomized groups was performed over three years in a sector of a truck assembly plant. The mean age of the operators in the sector for the initial and second assessment time was 42.0 (±7.6) years and 39.0 (±8.7), respectively. The mean length of work experience in the current job was 15.2 (±7.2) years and 13.9 (±7.3) for the initial and second assessment times, respectively. Five engineering ergonomic solutions and organizational interventions were implemented after a comprehensive ergonomic analysis. The organizational interventions consisted mostly of transferring and redistributing the tasks, i.e., ergonomically balancing and redesigning of the workstations. Before performing the interventions, the findings of the ergonomic study were presented at several meetings to encourage the involvement of the stakeholders (including managers, engineers, and operators) in the interventions. This study showed that a combination of ergonomic measures—engineering and organizational interventions—could reduce physical workloads. Musculoskeletal symptoms decreased after interventions although the difference was not significant.     

A decision support system for updating and incorporating climate change impacts into rainfall intensity-duration-frequency curves: Review of the stakeholder involvement process

Stakeholder involvement can serve to increase the quality of decision support systems (DSSs) and increase the perceived legitimacy of DSS outputs. Involving those who are ultimately affected by the outputs of DSSs in system design and development also reflects democratic principles. Importantly, stakeholder involvement can help ensure that the outputs of DSSs are used in decision-making processes. However, DSSs often fail due to poor engagement of stakeholder and end-user communities in the development and design of systems. The stakeholder engagement process applied in the development of the Computerized Tool for the Development of Intensity Duration Frequency Curves under Climate Change described here followed many of the tenants of best practices identified in the literature. While the engagement strategy was generally considered successful, over- and under-representation of some stakeholder groups and long term funding issues were weaknesses in the engagement process.     

基于智能体的多风险高关联项目的仿真

针对项目风险全生命周期管理过程中的多风险高关联的复杂性问题,为了综合评价风险系统,在风险持续管理过程和利益相关人风险知识沟通的基础上,提出了利用复杂自适应系统理论和智能体仿真技术对多风险相互关联条件下对项目生命全周期的风险影响进行了多智能体建模和仿真。不同风险控制力度下的仿真结果表明,对于具有多风险和风险间存在高度相互关联影响的大型项目而言,除了适度的风险的控制力度、标准流程和管理制度外,管理者更应从项目所涉及的系统或技术角度了解风险及其相互影响的内因。     

The relation between EA effectiveness and stakeholder satisfaction

Enterprise Architecture (EA) is increasingly being used by large organizations to get a grip on the complexity of their business processes, information systems and technical infrastructure. Although seen as an important instrument to help solve major organizational problems, effectively applying EA seems no easy task. Active participation of EA stakeholders is one of the main critical success factors for EA. This participation depends on the degree in which EA helps stakeholders achieve their individual goals. A highly related topic is effectiveness of EA, the degree in which EA helps to achieve the collective goals of the organization. In this article we present our work regarding EA stakeholder satisfaction and EA effectiveness, and compare these two topics. We found that, regarding EA, the individual goals of stakeholders map quite well onto the collective goals of the organization. In a case study we conducted, we found that the organization is primarily concerned with the final results of EA, while individual stakeholders also worry about the way the architects operate.     

Armoured Selection Decision Support Software

ABSTRACT

Selecting a main battle tank for an army is a lengthy and complex decision-making process. Military procurement staffs use various management and engineering tools to conduct their studies. This article describes a decision support software package that can assist in selecting the best tank from a set of competitors. The package assesses the design features that affect three major performance criteria: firepower, protection, and mobility. The package combines the Expert Choice^? implementation of the analytical hierarchy process with a LOTUS^? spreadsheet.     

Stakeholder engagement by an Italian water utility company: Insight from participant observation of dialogism

This paper focuses on the level of dialogism between organizations and participants. The unit of analysis is a water utility's direct engagement with its household customers. Through participant observation and Bebbington et al.’s (2007) model, we analyzed engagement factors to detect elements occasioning a dialogic experience and its determinants. This contribution to the public utilities and social accounting literature outlines interrelated factors impacting barriers to and opportunities for creating dialogism. It enhances public utility business reputation and drives sustainability innovations. Managerially, we identified enablers and limits of an effective stakeholder engagement process.     

Towards best practice implementation and application of models for analysis of water resources management scenarios

Water resources management models are widely used to evaluate planning or operational scenarios to support water resource management decision-making. However, the approaches to modelling used in the past have led to problems, such as modellers having difficulty establishing the credibility of their model with stakeholders, and stakeholders having difficulty understanding and trusting model results. A best practice approach to the implementation and application of water resources management models based on a quality assurance procedure is an appropriate means of overcoming these difficulties, and there are a number of guidelines and papers available promoting this approach. However, guidance in these on the use of models to analyse water resource planning scenarios is limited or not provided. This paper therefore provides guidance on the implementation and application of water resources management models with an emphasis on scenario analysis. This guidance is principally intended for practising modellers, and also for peer reviewers and stakeholders such as managers, decision makers, and community-based groups. Adoption strategies and recommendations for future directions are also discussed.     

Behavior of internal stakeholders in project portfolio management and its impact on success

Stakeholder behavior and stakeholder management are key success factors within project portfolio management (PPM). This empirical study of 197 project portfolios investigates the effect of the intensity of engagement (IoE) of portfolio-internal stakeholders on project portfolio success. We show that the effect of stakeholders is phase-specific and that role clarity as a measure of PPM maturity affects the nature of the relationship between the IoE of stakeholders and portfolio success. The effects of the IoE of senior managers on success are not clearly positive with regard to strategic portfolio structuring and are even negative in operative portfolio steering in established PPM systems. In immature PPM systems, line managers tend to take advantage of their position in resource management. Surprisingly, the influence of portfolio managers in portfolio steering is insignificant. Altogether, this paper shows the diverse effect of the IoE of stakeholders on portfolio success. This study enriches project research by applying stakeholder theory to the project portfolio context and offers practical guidance for further professionalizing PPM.     

A decision support tool for strategic planning of sustainable biorefineries

In this paper we formulate, implement, and test a model for technology and product portfolio design for a multi-product multi-platform biorefining enterprise. The model considered is an MILP financial planning model with the objective of maximizing the stakeholder value. Integer variables are used to select appropriate feedstocks, technologies, and products, material and capacity balances are used to design capacity and set production targets, while cash balances are used to describe investment and operations financing. Stakeholder value is described as the shareholder value with monetized environmental implications in terms of emissions mitigation costs and credits. Process integration schemes utilizing emissions are considered to reduce the emissions load and add to the bottom-line. A preliminary process design and product portfolio is provided as a result. Advantages of process integration are quantified using a central utilities facility and effluent recycles. Sensitivity analysis is conducted to determine important parameters that shape the objective function.     

Nuclear renaissance,public perception and design criteria: An exploratory review

There is currently an international drive to build new nuclear power plants, bringing about what is being termed a “nuclear renaissance”. However, the public perception of nuclear energy has historically been, and continues to be, a key issue, particularly in light of the Fukushima nuclear incident. This paper discusses the disparity between perceived and calculated risks based on the last four decades of research into risk perception. The leading psychological and sociological theories, Psychometric Paradigm and Cultural Theory, respectively, are critically reviewed. The authors then argue that a new nuclear-build policy that promotes a broader approach to design incorporating a wider range of stakeholder inputs, including that of the lay public, may provide a means for reducing the perceived risk of a nuclear plant. Further research towards such a new approach to design is proposed, based on integrating expert and lay stakeholder inputs and taking into account broader socio-cultural factors whilst maintaining the necessary emphasis on safety, technological development, economics and environmental sustainability.