Work Design

Work is all around us and permeates everything we do and everyday activities. Not all work is justified, not all work is properly designed, or evaluated accurately, or integrated. A systems model will make work more achievable through better management. Work is defined as a process of performing a defined task or activity, such as research, development, operations, maintenance, repair, assembly, production, and so on. Very little is written on how to design, evaluate, justify, and integrate work. Using a comprehensive systems approach, this book facilitates a better understanding of work for the purpose of making it more effective and rewarding.

Dr. Adedeji Badiru is a Professor of Systems Engineering at the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT). He is a registered professional engineer (PE). He is a fellow of the Institute of Industrial & Systems Engineers and a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Engineering. He is also a certified project management professional (PMP). His Ph.D. is in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida. Dr. Badiru is the author of several books and technical journal articles. His areas of interest include project management, mathematical modeling, computer simulation, learning curve analysis, quality engineering, and productivity improvement. Dr. Sharon Claxton Bommer is an adjunct professor of industrial engineering in the Department of Biomedical, Industrial and Human Factors Engineering at Wright State University. She has a PhD in Industrial and Human Systems with concentration in human performance and cognition. Her areas of expertise include Lean Manufacturing, Program Management, and Human Systems Integration. Dr. Bommer has extensive practical experience in industry with more than fifteen years of automotive manufacturing engineering and operation experience.

Preface Acknowledgments Authors Section I: Systems overview Chapter 1 Systems view of work Section II: Work design Chapter 2 Analytics for work planning or selection Chapter 3 Learning curve analysis for work design Section III: Work evaluation Chapter 4 Work performance measures Chapter 5 Cognitive task evaluation Chapter 6 Mental workload measures for work evaluation Section IV: Work justification Chapter 7 Cognitive modeling for human performance predictions Chapter 8 Functional interactions of work Section V: Work integration Chapter 9 Theoretical framework for work integration Chapter 10 Project management for work management Chapter 11 Considerations for worker well-being References Appendix A: Glossary of work performance terms Appendix B: Basic work-related formulas and conversion factors Index