Ergonomics in the past and the future: from a German perspective to an international one

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Abstract
Looking at the past there are more or less fragmented approaches in ergonomics as well as in management. Especially in Germany, the ‘Lean Management wave’ weakened ergonomics in industry. On the other hand, there is a growing demand for holistic concepts—and ergonomics can by definition be understood as holistic. Many of the newer approaches in management include ODAM or macroergonomics elements. In building up a stronger relationship between macro- and micro-ergonomics, the whole discipline could be promoted. This also requires the fulfilment of some preconditions like systematically gathering and presenting ‘best practices’, which show that ergonomics pays off.