Occupational health, safety, and ergonomics challenges and opportunities based on the organizational structure analysis: A case study in the selected manufacturing industries in Qom Province, Iran, 2015

Abstract

Background: A suitable organizational structure plays an important role in the efficiency and predictability of different parts of organizations. Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess the organizational structure of the selected manufacturing industries located at the Qom Province, and its relations to occupational health and safety concerns and success in 2015. Materials and Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 39 randomly chosen manufacturing companies. The data collection was conducted using valid Robbins's organizational structure questionnaire. Higher scores indicate higher levels of the respective components. Questionnaires were completed by middle managers of selected companies. Data were analyzed by Pearson correlation using SPSS version 20. Results: The average number of the employed personnel in these companies and organizations' work experience was 105.1 ± 101.1 persons and 15.3 ± 12.1 years, respectively. Average scores of complexity, formalization, and centralization was 14.3, 21.3, and 31.2, respectively. Among the studied organizations, 38.6% of the organizations had formalization, 2.6% had complexity, and 56.6% had high centralization. The results of Pearson's correlation test showed that there was a relation between complexity and organizational size, as well as centralization and work experience of the company significantly (P < 0.05). Conclusion: More than half of the studied organizations had a centralized structure. It should be noted that at a low level authority status, activities related to the health, safety, and ergonomics (HSE) field cannot have the appropriate performance. In addition, it revealed that more than 60% of the studied companies had not formalization. In summary, based on the results of the present study, favorable future conditions of HSE situation is not predictable.