An ergonomically designed work environment may decrease work related musculoskeletal disorders, lead to less sick leaves and increase production time for operators and companies all around the world. Volvo Construction Equipment wants to deepen the knowledge and investigate more carefully how operators are actually sitting whilst operating the machines, how this affects placement of controls and furthermore optimize controls placements accordingly. The purpose is to enhance their product development process by suggesting guidelines for control placement with improved ergonomics based on operators’ sitting postures. The goal is to deliver a process which identifies and transfers sitting postures to RAMSIS and uses them for control placement recommendations in the cab and operator environments. Delimitations concerns: physical ergonomics, 80% usability of the resulted process on the machine types, and the level of detail for controls and their placements. Research, analysis, interviews, test driving of machines, video recordings of operators and the ergonomic software RAMSIS has served as base for analysis. The analysis led to (i) the conclusion that sitting postures affect optimal ergonomic placement of controls, though not ISO-standards, (ii) the conclusion that RAMSIS heavy truck postures does not seem to correspond to Volvo CE’s operators’ sitting postures and (iii) and to an advanced engineering project process suitable for all machine types and applicable in the product development process. The result can also be used for other machines than construction equipment. The resulted process consists of three independent sub-processes with step by step explanations and recommendations of; (i) what information that needs to be gathered, (ii) how to identify and transfer sitting postures into RAMSIS, (iii) how to use RAMSIS to create e design aid for recommended control placement. The thesis also contains additional enhancements to Volvo CE’s product development process with focus on ergonomics. A conclusion is that the use of motion capture could not be verified to work for Volvo Construction Equipment, though it was verified that if motion capture works, the process works. Another conclusion is that the suggested body landmarks not could be verified that they are all needed for this purpose except for those needed for control placement. Though they are based on previous sitting posture identification in vehicles and only those that also occur in RAMSIS are recommended, and therefore they can be used. This thesis also questions the most important parameters for interior vehicle design (hip- and eye locations) and suggests that shoulder locations are just as important. The thesis concluded five parameters for control categorization, and added seven categories in addition to those mentioned in the ISO-standards. Other contradictions and loopholes in the ISO-standards were identified, highlighted and discussed. Suggestions for improving the ergonomic analyses in RAMSIS can also be found in this report. More future research mentioned is more details on control placement as well as research regarding sitting postures are suggested. If the resulted process is delimited to concern upper body postures, other methods for posture identification may be used.

Bibliography: pages 273-351 / The context of this research is the occupational wellbeing of employees in the healthcare industry in South Africa. The purpose of this study was to identify occupational wellbeing types that cluster as a result of variables (burnout, work engagement, workaholism and job satisfaction) which can be plotted on the circumplex model of wellbeing, and determining the extent of type differences in as far as it pertains to psychosocial antecedent variables (age, job demands, job resources and work-related sense of coherence), as well as positive and negative outcome variables (comprising organisational commitment and turnover intention). A quantitative survey was conducted on a convenience sample of healthcare workers (N = 461). The population consisted of predominately black African females, aged between 31 and 45 from the nursing profession. Cluster analysis using k-means found statistically significant support for three occupational wellbeing types, namely, Exhausted, Engaged and Burned-Out. Results from MANOVA revealed a difference between all occupational wellbeing types and the psychosocial antecedent variables of job demands, job resources and work-related sense of coherence. The occupational wellbeing types did not however differ, based on the age of the participants. Multinomial logistic regression analysis revealed that age was additionally not a significant predictor of the occupational wellbeing types, whilst Work-SoC predicted the engaged type, and job demands and job resources predicted the engaged and exhausted types in comparison to the burned-out type. Hierarchical moderated regression analysis concluded that each of the occupational wellbeing types played a significant role by moderating the relationship between the psychosocial antecedent variables of job resources and work-related sense of coherence, and the positive and negative outcomes of organisational commitment and turnover intention. Theoretically the study highlighted the importance of addressing the occupational wellbeing concerns and challenges faced by healthcare employees in South Africa face. The empirical value of the study was the identification of the occupational wellbeing types and a potential nomological net. The knowledge derived from the relationship between the variables may be valuable in informing a holistic affective wellbeing model which could direct practices within the healthcare industry in South Africa. / Die konteks van hierdie navorsing is die beroepswelstand van werknemers in die gesondheidsorgbedryf in Suid-Afrika. Die doel van hierdie studie was om tipes beroepsmatige welstand te identifiseer wat saamgevoeg word as gevolg van veranderlikes, naamlik uitbranding, werkbetrokkenheid, werksverslawing en werkstevredenheid wat op die sirkumpleksmodel van welstand geteken kan word, en om die omvang van tipe verskille in so ver aangesien dit betrekking het op psigososiale antesedente veranderlikes, naamlik ouderdom, werksvereistes, werksbronne en werkverwante samehang, sowel as positiewe en negatiewe uitkomsveranderlikes (wat organisatoriese toewyding en omsetintensiteit bevat). 'N Kwantitatiewe opname is gedoen oor 'n gerieflikheidsteekproef van gesondheidswerkers (N = 461). Die bevolking het bestaan uit hoofsaaklik swart vroulike vroue, tussen 31 en 45 jaar oud, uit die verpleegberoep. Cluster-analise met behulp van k-middele het statisties beduidende ondersteuning gevind vir drie tipes beroepswelstand, naamlik uitgeputting, betrokkenheid en uitgebranding. Resultate van MANOVA het 'n verskil aan die lig gebring tussen alle tipes beroepswelstand en die psigososiale antesedente veranderlikes van werksvereistes, werkbronne en werkverwante samehang. Die tipes beroepswelstand verskil egter nie op grond van die ouderdom van die deelnemers nie. Multinomiale logistieke regressie-analise het aan die lig gebring dat ouderdom ook nie 'n beduidende voorspeller was van die tipes beroepswelstand nie, terwyl Work-SoC die betrokke tipe voorspelling en werksvereistes voorspel het, en dat werkbronne die betrokke en uitgeputte tipes voorspel in vergelyking met die uitgebrande tipe. Hiërargiese gemodereerde regressie-analise het tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat elkeen van die tipes beroepswelstand 'n belangrike rol gespeel het deur die verhouding tussen die psigososiale voorgaande veranderlikes van werkbronne en werkverwante sin vir samehang te modereer, en die positiewe en negatiewe uitkomste van organisatoriese toewyding en omsetintensiteit. Teoreties het die studie die belangrikheid daarvan beklemtoon om die kommer en uitdagings wat gesondheidswerkers in Suid-Afrika in die gesig staar, aan te spreek. Die empiriese waarde van die studie was die identifisering van die tipes beroepswelstand en 'n potensiële nomologiese netwerk. Die kennis wat verkry word uit die verband tussen die veranderlikes, kan waardevol wees om 'n holistiese affektiewe welstandsmodel in te lig wat praktyke binne die gesondheidsbedryf in Suid-Afrika kan rig. / Umongo walolu cwaningo wukuphila kahle kwabasebenzi abasembonini yezokunakekelwa kwempilo eNingizimu Afrika. Inhloso yalolu cwaningo kwakuwukuhlonza izinhlobo zenhlalakahle yomsebenzi ezihlangana ngenxa yokuguquguqukayo (ukutubeka, ukuzibandakanya emsebenzini, ukusebenza ngokweqile nokweneliseka emsebenzini) okungabekwa kumodeli yenhlalakahle ye-circumplex, nokunquma ubukhulu bezinhlobonhlobo zohlobo kuze kube manje njengoba kumayelana nokuhlukahluka kokuphikisana kwengqondo (iminyaka, izidingo zomsebenzi, izinsiza zomsebenzi kanye nokuzwana okuhlobene nomsebenzi), kanye nokuhlukahluka kwemiphumela emihle nemibi (ehlanganisa ukuzibophezela kwenhlangano kanye nenhloso yenzuzo). Ucwaningo oluningi lwenziwe kusampula elula yabasebenzi bezokunakekelwa kwezempilo (N = 461). Isibalo besinabantu besifazane ikakhulukazi abamnyama base-Afrika, abaneminyaka ephakathi kuka-31 no-45 abavela emsebenzini wobunesi. Ukuhlaziywa kweqoqo ngokusebenzisa izindlela ezingama-k kutholwe ukwesekwa okubalulekile kwezibalo zezinhlobo ezintathu zomsebenzi, okungukuthi, Ukhathele, Ukuhlanganyela kanye Nokushiswa. Imiphumela evela kwa-MANOVA iveze umehluko phakathi kwazo zonke izinhlobo zenhlalakahle yomsebenzi kanye nokuhlukahluka kokuphikiswa kwengqondo kwezidingo zomsebenzi, izinsiza zomsebenzi kanye nokuzwana okuhlobene nomsebenzi. Izinhlobo zezenhlalakahle zomsebenzi azizange zehluke, ngokuya ngeminyaka yabahlanganyeli. Ukuhlaziywa kokuhlelwa kabusha kwezinto kwamazwe amaningi kuveze ukuthi iminyaka yobudala ibingeyona imbonakaliso ebalulekile yezinhlobo zenhlalakahle yomsebenzi, ngenkathi i-Work-SoC ibikezela uhlobo lokuzibandakanya, nezimfuno zomsebenzi, nezinsizakusebenza zibikezela izinhlobo ezibandakanyekile nezikhathele uma kuqhathaniswa nohlobo olushile. Ukuhlaziywa kokuhlehliswa kwe-hierarchical kuphethe ukuthi uhlobo ngalunye lwezinhlalakahle zomsebenzi lubambe iqhaza elibalulekile ngokuhlolisisa ubudlelwano phakathi kokuhlukahluka kokuphikiswa kwengqondo kwengqondo kwezinsiza zomsebenzi kanye nokuzwana okuhlobene nomsebenzi, kanye nemiphumela emihle nemibi yokuzibophezela kwenhlangano kanye nenhloso yenzuzo. Ngokwezifundo lolu cwaningo luqhakambisa ukubaluleka kokubhekana nezinkinga nezinselele ezibhekene nabasebenzi bezempilo eNingizimu Afrika ababhekene nazo. Inani lezobuciko lolo cwaningo kwakuwukuhlonzwa kwezinhlobo zenhlalakahle yomsebenzi kanye nenetha elingaba namandla lokuqanjwa. Ulwazi olususelwe ebudlelwaneni obuphakathi kokuguquguqukayo lungaba lusizo ekwaziseni imodeli yenhlalakahle ephelele engaqondisa izindlela ezenziwa embonini yezokunakekelwa kwempilo eNingizimu Afrika. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / D. Phil. (Psychology)

Text in Afrikaans / The purpose of this research study is to determine the extent to which employee assistance programmes can be utilised by welfare agencies to ensure that work-related and personal problems do not negatively influence the productivity of social workers. The group of respondents consisted of ten social work supervisors from ten different welfare agencies, which included civil sevice organisations, specialist organisations and family welfare organisations. The conclusion that was reached based on the findings of the empirical study is that social workers have a need for services that will prevent, relieve or eliminate their work-related and personal problems, in order to improve the productivity and general functioning of social workers. It is recommended that welfare agencies in accordence with their unique nature and functioning and the specific needs of the social workers, utilise employee assistance programmes so as to ensure optimal productivity of social workers / Die doel van die navorsingstudie is om te bepaal tot watter mate werknemerhulpprogramme deur welsynsinstansies aangewend kan word ten einde te verseker dat werkverwante en persoonlike probleme nie die produktiwiteit van maatskaplike werkers negatief beinvloed nie. Die ondersoekgroep het bestaan uit tien maatskaplikewerksupervisors van tien verskillende welsynsinstansies, te wete staatsdiensorganisasies, spesialiteitsorganisasies en gesinsorgorganisasies. Na aanleiding van die empiriese ondersoek is daar tot die gevolgtrekking gekom dat maatskaplike werkers 'n behoefte aan dienste het wat hul werkverwante en persoonlike probleme voorkom, verlig of uit die weg ruim ten einde produktiwiteit en algemene funksionering van maatskaplike werkers te bevorder. Daar word aanbeveel dat welsynsinstansies, na gelang van hul unieke aard en funksionering en die spesifieke behoeftes van die maatskaplike werker, werknemerhulpprogramme sal aanwend ten einde optimale produktiwiteit van maatskaplike werkers te verseker. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Social Work)