Open or Closed? Macroergonomics Approaching Socio-Technical Systems Productivity: An Overview of the Conceptual Framework

Purpose: The aim of this study is to discuss the motivations which lead to justify an apparent dichotomy between the open and closed systems in regarding to productivity, by questioning, how business organizations can become macroergonomically more productive? Methodology: A literature review was performed to achieve the theoretical foundation supporting the discussion; this research has exploratory nature based on its conceptual framework. Findings: Nowadays, a usable tool for solving this problem is macroergonomics a hybrid system which takes into accounts both the organizational characteristics and human factors. Even that based on socio-technical theory, macroergonomics displays systems as organic and open, integrating the interface human-technology, thereby resulting in a more effective work system. Moreover, the construction of a model organization with a satisfactory level of productivity must arise from a set of actions to be taken after a macroergonomic analysis on the productive scene, considering the human, technological and environmental aspects, freeing these old paradigms from a series of moorings and constraints aroused from the classic organizational models of production, which have gained force over the twentieth century.