ABSTRACT

This chapter introduces the first two phases of the Work Compatibility Improvement Framework (WCIF) based on the Six-Sigma cycle. It aims to identify the elements that constitute the human-at-work system and explains how the WC model characterizes the system in order to obtain the compatibility indices (i.e., performance measures of the system). The WCIF can be defined as the identification, improvement and maintenance of the well-being characteristics of the workforce through the application of engineering, medicine, management, and human sciences methodologies, technologies, and best practices. The purpose of the Work Compatibility Model is to identify elements in the work environment that do not contribute to better performance and require intervention. To explore the full potential of workers, a broader view of the well-being of workforce is required, not limited to economic incentives. A cross-sectional study was conducted in three small manufacturers located in the Midwest United States.