So. Brenner et O. Ostberg, WORKING-CONDITIONS AND ENVIRONMENT AFTER A PARTICIPATIVE OFFICE AUTOMATION PROJECT, International journal of industrial ergonomics, 15(5), 1995, pp. 379-387
A model program for office reorganization and computerization has been
developed and piloted in one of Sweden's public sector county adminis
trative councils. The model emphasized extensive employee and user inv
olvements in planning and designing the new office automation systems.
Employees responsible for accounting and document registry tasks were
the initial focus of activity. Questionnaires, structured interviews
and physiological tests were administered on five separate occasions o
ver an 18-month period to evaluate work efficiency and work environmen
t, including psychological strain. The 42 female administrative assist
ants reported that their work required higher skill levels and was mor
e interesting after the new computerized operations were in place. The
y also perceived their work as more demanding. Group average serum cor
tisol level increased by nearly 50%, indicating a substantial increase
in occupational stress or mobilization. These findings suggest that o
ffice automation projects can increase perceived qualifications of wor
k and lead to higher levels of job satisfaction while at the same time
increasing work load with subsequent elevation of serum cortisol. The
se results can be characterized as ''positive stress'' according to a
proposed model of technology in work and mental hearth. We attributed
the group's more or less uniformly positive assessment of the new comp
uterization project to extensive and early end user involvement. Relev
ance to industry Early and extensive employee and user involvement in
the different phases of computerization might not only increase job in
volvement and job satisfaction, but also result in more efficient work
performance. This is likely to enhance the successful introduction of
computers in various aspects of administration and production.