T he ergonomics program in this study was initiated when a poultry processmg plant contacted a uni versity-based research alliance requesting a participatory ergonom ics ( PE) program impleme ntation to address the incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMS Ds). This research observed changes in management practices as a result of the PE program. Management practices observed were communication, netwo rking, and leadership. The PE program acti vities provided opportunities for qua lity social exchanges between levels of management, employees and project stakeho lders.Results suggest that upper management committed financially to the PE program but did not engage management at all levels or promote stakeholder accountability. The program was dri ven by an Ergo-Team (ET) middle management member and much of the management partic ipation was transactional in nature focusing on day to day program activities. The PE program remained at a superfi cial level within the organization, knowledge tra nsfer capacities were not enhanced, and overall management practices we re unchanged. II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI would like to thank my family and friends for the support as I pursued graduate studies. I' m truly grateful to have had you all nearby whi le I studied and worked in St.John's. The visits, calls and just knowing you were only a few hours away helped inspire balance in a busy life.f would like to acknowledge and thank MIT ACS Inc. for the opportunity to participate in the national internship Accelerate Program. The financial benefits of this program had a significant impact on my ability to focus on the research and enjoy the experience.I would like to ac knowledge and thank my industry partner Country Ribbon Inc.The opportunity to apply the research within industry and experience the challenges and opportunities that come with implementing a PE program not only hel ped me understand the value of this research but also he lped prepare me for working in industry . Most importantly, the opportunity to work with your management team and workers was a rewarding experience.would like to thank SafetyNet tor providing me support during my time on campus. You provided me with a network of peopl e and resources for guida nce and support from start to finish . Not only did yo u support me in my own research but yo u -----------------------------------------------------~ IntroductionWork-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) have become a health, safety, and economic concern in today's workplace as WRMSDs have implications for major financial burden to employees, employers and to industry (Denis, St-Vincent, Imbeau, Jette, & Nastasia, 2008;Lewis, Krawiec, Confer, Agopsowicz, & Crandall, 2002). The research shows evidence of attempting to reduce incidence of WRMSDs through ergonomic programs and workstation redesign aimed through reducing or eliminating ergonomic risk factors (Haukka et al. , 2008; Lotters & Burdof, 2002; Pehkonen et al., 2009; Rivilis et al., 2008). However, research suggests tha...

T he ergonomics program in this study was initiated when a poultry processmg plant contacted a uni versity-based research alliance requesting a participatory ergonom ics ( PE) program impleme ntation to address the incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMS Ds). This research observed changes in management practices as a result of the PE program. Management practices observed were communication, netwo rking, and leadership. The PE program acti vities provided opportunities for qua lity social exchanges between levels of management, employees and project stakeho lders.Results suggest that upper management committed financially to the PE program but did not engage management at all levels or promote stakeholder accountability. The program was dri ven by an Ergo-Team (ET) middle management member and much of the management partic ipation was transactional in nature focusing on day to day program activities. The PE program remained at a superfi cial level within the organization, knowledge tra nsfer capacities were not enhanced, and overall management practices we re unchanged. II ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSI would like to thank my family and friends for the support as I pursued graduate studies. I' m truly grateful to have had you all nearby whi le I studied and worked in St.John's. The visits, calls and just knowing you were only a few hours away helped inspire balance in a busy life.f would like to acknowledge and thank MIT ACS Inc. for the opportunity to participate in the national internship Accelerate Program. The financial benefits of this program had a significant impact on my ability to focus on the research and enjoy the experience.I would like to ac knowledge and thank my industry partner Country Ribbon Inc.The opportunity to apply the research within industry and experience the challenges and opportunities that come with implementing a PE program not only hel ped me understand the value of this research but also he lped prepare me for working in industry . Most importantly, the opportunity to work with your management team and workers was a rewarding experience.would like to thank SafetyNet tor providing me support during my time on campus. You provided me with a network of peopl e and resources for guida nce and support from start to finish . Not only did yo u support me in my own research but yo u -----------------------------------------------------~ IntroductionWork-related musculoskeletal disorders (WRMSDs) have become a health, safety, and economic concern in today's workplace as WRMSDs have implications for major financial burden to employees, employers and to industry (Denis, St-Vincent, Imbeau, Jette, & Nastasia, 2008;Lewis, Krawiec, Confer, Agopsowicz, & Crandall, 2002). The research shows evidence of attempting to reduce incidence of WRMSDs through ergonomic programs and workstation redesign aimed through reducing or eliminating ergonomic risk factors (Haukka et al. , 2008; Lotters & Burdof, 2002; Pehkonen et al., 2009; Rivilis et al., 2008). However, research suggests tha...