Autor: Franz J. Heeg

Demographic change poses particular challenges for change processes in companies. On the one hand thing, the working environment and conditions have to be adapted to the aging of the workforce, on the other hand, the processes of change themselves must be taking account to the age of the employees, i.e. for older employees changes must be conducted differently than for younger employees. This paper presents a concrete way to organize change processes in companies, in due consideration of demographic change.

To analyze individual-related acts and behaviours by solving different kinds of problems and tasks (especially with complex caracter) is a main part of ergonomic analysis - predominantly the ones which require a distributed solution. To derive statistical significant statements and to ensure an effective and efficient measuring of competences it is necessary to collect the data (video and audio) automatic and digital. For this purpose a technical system should be developed and applied which is able to trace the evaluated probands without interruption in distributed areas.

The human engineering and business-oriented literature delivers since the 60s of the last century a lot of examples how to involve employees in change processes. A consistent methodology is certainly missing. Eminently in small and medium-sized businesses existing approaches are not used for daily tasks. To reach a systematic and successful participation of employees in change processes it is necessary to have an approach which analyzes the relevant surrounding system and also uses and develops the competences, experiences and attitudes of all participants (both staff and executives).

Organizational change-processes are usually carried out according to objective criteria; self-organizational aspects (as well as emotions and (basic-) needs as order parameter) are not taken into consideration. However, these aspects eventually decide on the success of innovative processes. Therefore, it is of importance to design organizational innovative processes in such a way that they enable and enhance self-organization. A technique designed to identify order parameters and to enhance self-organizational aspects (using adapted and relevant methods drawn from the field of Industrial Engineering) is introduced and discussed.