Cultural, psychological and ergonomic considerations involving changes in the workplace

Abstract

The consequences of physical and cognitive changes to a retail work environment like a Point-Of-Sale (POS) can be a complex interaction of cultural, psychological and ergonomic factors. The following example describes the effects of changing the front-end environment of a European food retailer in order to increase productivity, customer satisfaction, and cashier comfort. The issues that arose during the changeover included resistance to change due to culture and tradition, employee frustration due to changes in tasks and roles, and physical discomfort due to job demands and improper transition from sitting to standing. When integrating such critical changes to a workplace environment, it is essential to consider these types of issues for a successful implementation.