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What role can Human Factors and Ergonomics practitioners perform to pave the path to evolving sustainability in design? Being “green” is often perceived to cost money, requires a commitment of resources even when there is not an apparent return on investment (ROI), sometimes it is just about being a good global citizen and responsive to the plight of our planet, with no direct perceived monetary benefit (perhaps ever). This panel will be a social impact discussion hosted by the HFES Sustainability Taskforce. The participants will include HFES attendees in the audience along with Academia, Industries, and Influencers in the area of sustainability. This is an open forum for brainstorming, gathering actionable ideas to charter HF/E influence in sustainable design to support our planet. Industries are chasing sustainability goals and looking for measurable sustainability targets as indicators of success. Let HFES help by guiding future & current practitioners who can help achieve goals.

This paper provides a scoping literature review of research methods that seek to measure individual productivity and organisational performance in office buildings containing enhanced green building features and initiatives that focus on Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ). The paper follows the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) framework and includes thirty-nine academic papers for the period 2000 to 2020. Different research instruments are discussed, including post-occupancy evaluations (POE), longitudinal surveys, and interviews. Furthermore, a narrative focuses on specific measures, including location, amenities, comfort, engagement, individual productivity, and organisational performance. This provides insight into common research approaches and highlights where lesser used research approaches could be applied in the field of green building features and initiatives (GBFIs), including the assessment of individual productivity and organisational performance. Key findings highlight that individual productivity was measured via self-assessment in previous research. At the same time, there has been no research that has successfully measured organisational performance within the context of GBFIs. Gaps have been identified in the literature concerning the relationship between knowledge-based building occupants and measuring/monetising the implementation of GBFIs. Implications of this research indicate that there are common approaches that highlight both strengths and, more importantly, weaknesses concerning linking GBFIs to individual productivity and organisational performance. Addressing weaknesses that predominantly encompass measuring organisational performance creates the opportunity for future research in this field.

Although a significant amount of research has already been published, the field of ergonomics/human factors and sustainability (E/HF-S) has not yet been systematically profiled based on recent studies. Conducting a systematic review of the literature, this article aims: (i) to identify the main emergent research themes in this subject area and (ii) to provide future directions for applied research and practice on E/HF-S. Six emergent research themes were identified in this literature allowing for a proposal to synthesise the main concepts related to E/HF-S. However, it was noted that there are still relatively few empirical papers which assess the models being developed or that apply E/HF principles to sustainability challenges. Thus, this paper identifies the opportunities for practical application related to E/HF-S. The last part of the paper explores the E/HF-S opportunities using an external framework; the United Nations' sustainable development goals.

Addressing wastewater infrastructure needs in urban informal settlements must simultaneously address legacies of past failures, current aspirations and constraints, as well as increasingly changing needs related to global environmental change. This study applied the Sustainable System-of-Systems framework for ergonomics and human factors to gain a better understanding of how small in-situ constructed wetlands could be a form of greywater treatment infrastructure in an informal settlement. Using 24 months of interviews, surveys, workshops and photo-ethnographic observations, we identified that the rapidly changing nature of parent (e.g. residency transience and land ownership) and sibling (e.g. housing and drinking water) systems put pressure on the target wetland system to adapt, often decreasing its capacity to deliver the service of water cleaning. Greywater treatment was not a common goal among stakeholders involved in the nested hierarchy system which likely contributed to the constructed wetlands needing to adapt to remain relevant. Practitioner summary: The value of the Sustainable Systems-of-Systems framework for ergonomics/human factors professionals in determining the sustainability of an ergonomics/human factors intervention is demonstrated using a greywater treatment system case study for an urban informal settlement. Understanding the variety of stakeholder goals and the pace of change in related systems was key to a sustainable intervention. Funding Agencies|WRC (South Africa) [K5/2953]; Formas (Sweden) [2018-02217]; BMBF (Germany) [02WGR008]

Consumer perceptions are key to the success of strategies to address water scarcity. A decision pathway survey was used to investigate attitudes amongst South Africans (N = 668) in urban areas towards four alternative water sources. Results showed that storm and rainwater harvesting was the most (49.7%), and reclaimed wastewater the least acceptable options (15.7%). Direct potable reuse was the most supported alternative (26.6%), followed by indirect potable reuse (22.2%), reuse with additional piping (18.3%), direct non-potable reuse (8.3%), and indirect non-potable reuse (6.8%). Importantly, information provision led to a >66% increase in reclaimed wastewater acceptance amongst those initially opposed to it. In contrast, support for desalinated water and water restrictions decreased. Information provision also led to greater acceptance for direct relative to indirect reuse in situations of severe water scarcity. Together, the data suggest a role for information in influencing attitudes towards alternative water sources amongst consumers.

Humanity is facing our greatest challenge ever: to address run-away global temperatures and ecosystem degradation threatening civilization as we know it. Human factors and ergonomics have much to contribute in partnering with industry, government, academia, and society as a whole, to stop the destruction of our home, and evolve systems to sustainably provide clean energy and other resources needed to feed, clothe, house, sanitize, and transport humans. In this poster, we present a sampling of ways ergonomists, human factors researchers, and practitioners are already engaging in work to support environmental sustainability, as well as areas in which HFE could be applied to support progress toward sustainability goals. Examples presented include contributions from members of the HFES Sustainability Task Force. We share this with the HFES community both to inform work completed and in-progress as well as to inspire the participation of others in this important work.

This study investigated whether indoor plants were as effective as a guided meditation for enabling psychological recovery after fatigue induced by the abbreviated vigilance task. Sixty students were randomly assigned to an indoor plant, guided meditation, or control rest-break condition. The psychological processes most in need of recovery were identified as cognitive and affective restoration. Measures of affect, stress, and working memory were taken before and after the vigilance task, and again after a rest intervention. The vigilance task-induced fatigue as shown by a significant vigilance decrement and also significantly lowered positive affect and cognitive engagement, and significantly increased distress across all three conditions. After exposure to the break interventions, distress significantly decreased for participants in the indoor plant break condition while distress significantly decreased and engagement significantly increased in the guided meditation break condition. Indoor plants and guided meditation had a small, but significant positive impact on affective restoration and no significant impact on cognitive restoration.

BACKGROUND: Sustainability is a highly important theme worldwide and currently is being tackled by almost all disciplines. Indeed, the future of humanity is dependent on the actions taken now and in the immediate future. The Ergonomics and Human Factors (E/HF) community has not been indifferent to this issue, and one of the concrete actions adopted by the International Ergonomics Association (IEA) was the establishment of the “Human Factors for Sustainable Development” (HFSD) Technical Committee. OBJECTIVE: To identify future paths of action, this paper recognizes the trajectory of the HFSD Technical Committee, summarizes the contributions presented at IEA2021, the International Congress on Ergonomics held virtually in Vancouver in 2021, and reflects on key aspects that should be boosted by the Technical Committee. METHODS: This is a qualitative interpretative study that reflects on the contributions of members of the HFSD community working on E/HF for sustainability. RESULTS: Central topics and opportunities in E/HF and sustainability include complexity of systems, behaviors, and work; energy use and consumption; co-design, interconnectivity, territories, and the relationships with stakeholders. CONCLUSION: Although the contributions have been growing, there is still a lot of work needed, both theoretically and practically. Themes to be discussed include the concepts of sustainability and work. Considering the centrality of human beings (i.e., decision making for achieving the different dimensions of sustainability), the authors identify a set of values as core principles for leading the discussion.

Human Factors/Ergonomics (HF/E) is a systems discipline focused on jointly optimizing human well-being and overall system performance. Societal problems, including but not limited to health inequity, racism, poverty, and (lack of) sustainability, are inherently systems problems that involve humans, and so recent work has argued that HF IE can and should contribute to addressing these issues. This panel will bring together leaders of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) to discuss if and how HFES can encourage and support responsible, timely, and participative ergonomics to address societal issues. The session will be highly interactive as the organizers will moderate discussion to reflect on the progress the science and Society (i.e., HFES) have made in this space, identify areas for improvement, and creatively consider future actions to ensure our science and Society are responding to these issues in an ethical manner.

Understanding what motivates people to act on climate change provides an opportunity to design more effective interventions, in particular, climate services interventions, by aligning them with factors that strongly influence action. Climate change risk perceptions have been shown to underlie action on climate change. Therefore, this study performs exploratory research to understand how various determinants of risk perceptions contribute and interact to influence climate change risk perceptions and professional action on climate change in East Africa, in order to inform the context-specific design of climate services. Using data collected through a region-wide survey, a model to risk perceptions and professional action was constructed through structural equation modeling. The model elucidates the cascading effects of variables such as age, gender, education, and personal values on action. In particular, it highlights a split in motivating factors among individuals with higher levels of self-enhancing values versus those with higher levels of self-transcending values. The model also highlights the prominent role that experience of extreme weather events, psychological proximity of climate change, climate change risk perceptions, and social norms play in motivating action. The model, therefore, offers a framework for prioritizing the various factors that motivate people to take adaptation action, which, in turn, provides a basis for informing climate services development going forward.

The purpose of this paper is to identify and critically evaluate previous research that examines the link between green office buildings and the productivity of commercial building occupants. The o...

There is an increasing need and interest for Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE) professionals to apply our discipline to a larger context. HFE researchers are starting to conduct research outside of traditional settings, focusing their efforts on complex societal challenges; however, this type of work is still in its infancy and there is a need to define how HFE can be used in broader contexts, outside of formal institutions. In this panel, we begin a formalized conversation of how our field can scale its impact. Each panelist will introduce a societal challenge they are addressing and discuss how HFE can be adapted to this context. The topics of this panel will span elections technology, sustainability and climate change, universal access to mental healthcare, social isolation in older adults, and food insecurity. This session will conclude with a moderated discussion between the panelists and audience to brainstorm specific societal challenges that HFE can address as well as how methods can be adapted to this context.

China’s mobility turn has created the world’s largest public rail system, contributing extensively to citizens’ economic, social, and spatial mobility. Concurrently, this technological transformati...

Sustainability is a systems problem with humans as integral elements of the system. However, sustainability problems usually have a broader scope than socio-technical systems and therefore, require additional considerations. This requires a fuller integration of complex systems understanding into the systems analysis toolset currently available to human factors and ergonomics. In this paper, we outline these complex systems requirements necessary to tackle global problems such as sustainability and then assess how three common systems analysis tools (i.e. Accimap, System Theoretic Accident Mapping and Processes, and Cognitive Work Analysis) stand up against these revised criteria. This assessment is then further explored through applying two of these tools (i.e. Accimap and System Theoretic Accident Mapping and Processes) to a transnational food integrity system problem. This case study shows that no single systems analysis method can be used in isolation to help identify key insights for intervention and that new methods may need to be developed or existing methods need to be adapted to understand these dynamic, adaptive systems. The implications for the further development of systems analysis tools are discussed. Practitioner summary: We assess the applicability of existing human factors and ergonomics systems-analysis tools for examining global problems and for identifying points to intervene in these systems. We comment on what extensions and further work will be required to enable human factors and ergonomics to intervene effectively. Abbreviations: HFE: human factors and ergonomics; CO2: carbon dioxide; CO: carbon monoxide; O3: ozone; SSoS: sustainable system-of-systems; BSE: bovine spongiform encephalopathy; STAMP: systems-theoretic accident model; CWA: cognitive work analysis; WDA: work domain analysis; ConTA: control task analysis; StrA: strategies analysis; SOCA: social and organisation cooperation analysis; SOCA-CAT: social and organisation cooperation analysis contextual analysis template; SOCA-DL: social and organisation cooperation analysis decision ladder; WOP: work organisation possibilities; FRAM: functional resonance analysis method; US FDA: United States Food and Drug Administration; UK: United Kingdom; NET-HARMS: networked hazard analysis and risk management system; PreMiSTS: predicting malfunctions in socio-technical systems.

This study looks at urban informal settlements, a common feature of many cities in developing countries that arise when rapid urbanization is not supported by adequate social and physical infrastructure. This study looks at the application of the Sustainable System-of-Systems framework for human factors and ergonomics in an urban informal settlement. Using twelve months of photo-ethnographic and interview data, this paper shows how the four elements of this framework can be identified and how they might be applied to improve the design and implementation of a sustainable intervention to treat greywater effluent and improve the health of the environment.

The slow adoption of sustainable technologies is cause for concern in an increasingly resource strained world. This study attempts to build on two main bodies of research: (1) a general technology adoption framework; i.e. the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) and (2) work on the psychological design for affect; i.e. affective design. The purpose of this study is to report on the development and psychometric properties of the scales that will be used to assess the adoption of the Interface® Urban RetreatTM carpets (a sustainable carpet using recycled materials and possessing biophilic characteristics) in a follow up study. The Semantic Differential Scale developed for these carpets produced a wide range of affective qualities. The scale did not, however, support the underlying structure of Evaluative, Potency, and Activity as proposed by Osgood et al. (1957). The UTAUT scales presented with reasonable to good internal reliability and with the exception of ‘perceived effort’, the subscales were correlated with intention to adopt. Based on these two preliminary studies, the scales will be revised and then administered to determine the complementary roles of the utilitarian factors (based on the UTAUT) and emotional factors (based on the semantic differential scale developed for this purpose).

IEA 2018, the 20th Congress of the International Ergonomics and Human Factors Association was a great success in terms of participation from different parts of the world (scientific work was presen...

Most studies on sustainable mobility focus on technological, socio-structural, or psychosocial influences while neglecting individual motivations and practices. In this study, we examine mobility motivations and practices as part of a complex interplay between psychosocial and socio-structural dimensions within the mobility infrastructure of Metrorail in the Western Cape. Drawing on Albert Bandura's theory of personal agency and the model of triadic reciprocal causation, we interviewed 38 commuters (mean age 33 years, SD 11, 50% women/men) and analyzed the data using hermeneutic content analysis and multidimensional scaling. Based on our analyses, we identified three pathways that describe the mobility practices of Metrorail users, each with its own purpose and function. We explore these pathways and their consequences for sustainable mobility in relation to daily commuter agency, motivations, and past experiences.

The field of ecopsychology focuses on the affective relationship between individuals and nature that is based on the premise that what individuals love and care for, they will protect. There is however a methodological gap within the field of ecopsychology that relates to the qualitative exploration of the human-nature nexus. Elicitation techniques are a popular method used for exploring subconscious processes or to engage participants in a subject that might seem abstract such as affect towards nature. Currently, there exists no methodological guideline on how to develop a picture elicitation technique to explore the human-nature nexus and there is no technique to assist with this exploration. This article describes the methodology used to develop the Nature Nexus Elicitation Technique to enable the tacit exploration of the affective relationship that individuals have with nature. Six phases of the elicitation technique development are explained. The phases included a Systematic Literature Review, parallel study conducted online ( N = 43), emergent category validation, technique visual development, feasibility testing ( N = 5), and technique use ( N = 44). The results show the technique development processes as well as the output which is a range of cards that cover human-nature expressions that include intimacy, empathy, engagement, ambivalence, apathy, and alienation.

This intergroup case study compared users' mental models with an expert design model of a water management system in a green building. The system incorporates a constructed wetland component and a rainwater collection pond that together recycle water for re-use in the building and its surroundings. The sample consisted of five building occupants and the cleaner (6 users) and two experts who were involved with the design of the water management system. Users' mental model descriptions and the experts' design model were derived from in-depth interviews combined with self-constructed (and verified) diagrams. Findings from the study suggest that there is considerable variability in the user mental models that could impact the efficient functioning of the water management system. Recommendations for improvements are discussed.

Commercial organisations who have invested in “greening” their buildings are not only concerned about reducing the negative impact of their buildings on the environment, but also on the potential positive impact green buildings can have on their employees and therefore also on the financial sustainability of the organisation. To date, the research evidence on the effect of green buildings on employees is equivocal. Widely varying research designs and measures, and differing research foci have resulted in a fragmented and contradictory body of knowledge. In this study, we attempt to bring some order to this field by first, providing a framework for reviewing and evaluating the extant research evidence and second, by starting to address some of the research design flaws identified in the previous research through a longitudinal, empirical investigation of the impact of green building on employees. In the empirical study, three green buildings were evaluated using a pre-test, post test design, repeated-measures design with a contrast group for two of the buildings (Total N = 280). Statistical analyses of the data established that there were significant improvements in perceived air quality across all three buildings, significant improvements in self-report productivity in two of the buildings and a significant improvement in physical wellbeing in one building. However, no significant differences were found for psychological wellbeing, job satisfaction, propensity to leave the organisation, and organisational image. We consider these results to be methodologically robust but suggest caution in interpreting the results due to poor response rates and possible volunteer bias. The results are discussed in relation to the design features of each building.

Current human activities are seriously eroding the ability of natural and social systems to cope. Clearly we cannot continue along our current path without seriously damaging our own ability to survive as a species. This problem is usually framed as one of sustainability. As concerned professionals, citizens, and humans there is a strong collective will to address what we see as a failure to protect the natural and social environments that supports us. While acknowledging that we cannot do this alone, human factors and ergonomics needs to apply its relevant skills and knowledge to assist where it can in addressing the commonly identified problem areas. These problems include pollution, climate change, renewable energy, land transformation, and social unrest amongst numerous other emerging global problems. The issue of sustainability raises two fundamental questions for human factors and ergonomics: which system requires sustaining and what length of time is considered sustainable? In this paper we apply Wilson (2014) parent-sibling-child model to understanding what is required of an HFE sustainability response. This model is used to frame the papers that appear in this Special Issue.

Naomi Klein in her recent book ‘ This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate’ (Klein, 2014) argues that climate change represents the most pressing problem facing our age. As HFE professionals we share this view and believe there is a strong collective will to address what we see as a failure to protect the natural and social environments that support us. While still acknowledging that HFE professionals cannot address these issues alone, we believe we are in a unique position to apply relevant skills and knowledge to assist in addressing the commonly identified problem areas including pollution, climate change, renewable energy, land transformation, and social unrest amongst numerous other emerging global problems. In this panel discussion we present a number of possible contributions from the macroergonomics sub-discipline that we believe well help society find solutions to the current predicament that we find ourselves in.

Laboratory studies, mostly with students as samples, consistently demonstrate the psychological benefits of indoor plants. However, these findings do not always translate into benefits for employees in real work contexts. In three studies, this paper first looked to replicate the findings of previous laboratory studies for the South African context and then to assess whether these findings were robust in two call centre field studies. In the laboratory study, the condition with indoor plants performed statistically better on three measures of work performance. These positive outcomes could not be replicated in two field studies using various proxy measures of performance and wellbeing (perceived productivity, perceived physical and psychological health, work engagement, job satisfaction, and evaluations of the work environment) with varying lengths of exposure to indoor plants (6 weeks in Study 2 and 14 weeks in Study 3). The moderating role of connectedness to nature (Studies 1 and 2) was not supported while the moderating role of attractiveness of the plants (Study 3) was only partially supported in Study 3. These results are discussed in relation to the differences between laboratory and field studies, specifically in the context of call centre agents.

To address the pathological human&ndash, nature nexus, psychological processes that impact this relationship need to be further understood. Individual differences related to personality, values, worldviews, affect, and beliefs are likely to influence how people relate to the natural world. However, there is a lack of empirically-based ecopsychological research exploring multiple individual attributes. Understanding individual differences enables the strategic design of planetary-focused interventions, such as advocacy, policy, and technology development. Using a theoretical model that incorporates intrinsic, affective, cognitive, and behavioral constructs, this study sought to identify and describe different types of people and their relationship with the biosphere. Seven hundred and fifty-three people completed an online quantitative questionnaire battery. Results from the cluster analyses of the cognitive and affective constructs showed that six heterogeneous types existed. Their different descriptive expressions of intrinsic, affective, cognitive, and behavioral constructs provide a deeper understanding of each type&rsquo, s relationship with the biosphere.

The current study used the Attention Restoration Theory to investigate whether plants in an office context produced restorative effects that enable employees to perform better. This study was one of the first attempts to empirically investigate the effect of indoor plants on experiences of performance outcomes within South Africa. In this experimental study, 120 participants were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: (1) no plants or pictures of plants; (2) only plants; (3) only canvas pictures of plants. The rooms were identical in every other respect. Participants completed two tasks (a card-sorting task and a reading task) and two questionnaires, namely the connectedness to nature scale to assess participant’s nature identity and a perceived task performance questionnaire. The results from the ANOVA’s demonstrated a reduction in participants’ errors (F(2, 117) = 7.137, p = 0.001), a positive reaction to the given task (F(2, 117) = 8.904, p = 0.000), as well as reduction in participants’ task completion time (F(2, 117) = 43.422, p = 0.000) in the plants condition. The result from the two-way ANOVA’s demonstrated that nature identity did not moderate the above relationships (errors: F(1, 114) = 2.060, p = 0.132; completion time: F(1, 114) = 0.967, p = 0.383; reaction to the task: F(1, 114) = 0.017, p = 0.983).

In this paper we outline a vision for human factors/ergonomics and sustainability in the 21st century. The paper extends and updates earlier work by Moray (1995) which posed a number of global challenges for the discipline of HFE. In particular we point to several trends and priorities within HFE, these include: a shift away from specialization and towards trans-disciplinarity; greater emphasis on systems and complexity in HFE as compared to an earlier focus on micro-ergonomics; the emergence of values and ethics as central concerns for the discipline; moving away from mitigation and towards adaptation and intervention in our efforts to tackle global issues and sustainability; and, the importance of local, tailored and devolved solutions to problems such as climate change and disaster resilience. Our overall aim in the paper is to motivate and challenge HFE researchers and practitioners to further address and confront some of these priorities. The HFE discipline is well-placed to make significant contributions towards resolving global problems and our hope is that further and significant progress can be made in the coming decades.

At this moment in time, there exists the opportunity not only to report the effects of what exists within the workspace and its changing nature, but to influence the redesign, development, and implementation of the workplace and its environmental factors (Davis et al. 2011). With the change in the nature of work, the spaces in which work is done have also changed. Such a change is partly due to the recent trend of designing and operating energy efficient green buildings. As green building standards require improvements to attributes of indoor environment quality, it is claimed that green buildings improve the health, productivity, and comfort of their occupants. The current research was part of a preparatory study conducted at a large South African organisation before they moved to their new green building. This research investigates how the different existing types of workplace layout, including agile workspaces, impacted on elements of the perceived comfort, health and satisfaction of the employees.

This study looks at a comparison of three data formats for the communication of climate change information; a dynamic visual representation, tables and charts, and pictures. Using design principles which are largely drawn from the field of cognitive ergonomics, good examples of each data format that represented a local climate change issue were identified. A sample of 453 students was randomly assigned to one of the three data format conditions and compared on their understanding and comprehension of the data format information and their motivation to act to mitigate the effects of climate change. Results suggest that there was no clear “best” data format, although tables and charts were likely to have the most consistently positive impact. These results are discussed in the context of climate change communication.

Railway occurrences in South Africa remain high, despite occurrence investigations conducted by the various organisations. A failure to thoroughly investigate the underlying causes for incidents may be a possible reason for the number of recurrences. A systems analysis of the South African railway industry illustrates the systemic factors within the railway system that influences the effectiveness of the occurrence investigation process. Systemic factors refer to challenges, pressures, frustrations or obstacles that contribute to the complexity of railway accident investigations. Rasmussen’s (1997) Risk Management Framework was operationalised for the South African railway system. A qualitative multi-method approach was adopted in this research. Methods included a print media analysis of 133 reported railway accidents, governance document analyses, 23 semi-structured interviews with railway investigators, 4 observations during actual inquiries and analyses of railway occurrence reports. The data were compared and verified against each other using triangulation. An Accimap was used to graphically illustrate the complexity of the investigation process. This systems analysis tool highlights that the system of accident investigations is indeed a complex system in its own right, and not just the rail accidents themselves. The rail investigation system in South Africa can be described as a broken ‘system of systems’. Deficiencies and complexities in the system of accident investigations limits the effectiveness of the entire investigation process from achieving its objectives - that is to learn from such events - offering an explanation for why railway safety trends remain unchanged in South Africa.

Crane incidents occur in the ports of South Africa and around the world in the maritime industry. Crane operators’ and crane supervisors’ accounts of such events are used in investigations and therefore the accuracy of the findings from the incident investigation is important because these findings inform the remedial actions that must be taken to address the cause(s) of the incident. The aim of this paper is to understand and compare crane operators’ and supervisors’ perceptions of why incidents happen using attribution theory (Heider 1958). In this qualitative study, 16 participants from a port in South Africa were used. Specifically, 8 crane operators and 8 crane supervisors. The two groups were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. Thematic content analysis was conducted on the interview data to identify the emerging themes between the two groups utilizing a systems thinking approach (Wilson 2014). The results support Gyekye (2010), demonstrating that supervisors were more inclined to attribute crane incidents to internal factors of the crane operators while the crane operators were more inclined to attribute crane incidents to external, systemic factors. Although both groups identified external factors such as mechanical and maintenance issues, weather conditions, communication, training and skills, and safety culture as factors contributing towards crane incidents, the supervisors were more likely to identifying personal factors attributed to crane operators such as a lack of concentration, fatigue, skills, and eyesight as causal factors. Conversely, crane operators mostly felt that these factors were insignificant in causing any incidents.

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in [Ergonomics on 08 Feb 2018, available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2018.1435978

The problems now facing humanity are complex and rapidly evolving. In fact, these problems even threaten our very existence as a species. The sustainable system-of-systems model, which has been developed to help characterise the various different levels of human factors and ergonomics approaches to dealing with these problems, is explained and critiqued this chapter. We then look at the various possible ways to address the “fuzzy boundary” problem of complex adaptive systems for human factors and ergonomics. These possible solutions include the Pareto Principle, Stakeholder Salience Theory, Soft Systems Methodology, and Network Theory. The example of the design of a green building workplace layout is used to illustrate the concepts. The chapter concludes with a critique of what we consider to be the most promising of these solutions at present, the Network Theory.

In reviewing the published literature and the work presented in this book, we propose a set of five goals for human factors and ergonomics to help the discipline understand and appropriately address the challenges raised by sustainability. We believe that these goals will help focus the human factors and ergonomics discipline to help facilitate a sustainable future for humankind. As explained in this chapter, the five goals are the need to move: (1) from specialised to multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary theory; (2) from systems HFE to complexity HFE; (3) from value-free to value-laden science; (4) from mitigation to adaptation; and (5) from general to local solutions. We show how the chapters in this book have helped shape the human factors and ergonomics agenda in relation to these goals.

Uses Fukushima Nuclear Power Disaster to illustrate role of information failure.Identifies impact of information behaviour on information failure.Reveals escalation of commitment to myth of nuclear safety.Explains how escalating commitment interacts with information behaviour.Shows information avoidance was a major factor in the Fukushima Disaster. Research into information failure has often focussed on deficiencies in information systems and research into information behaviour has often placed emphasis on the individual and his/her interactions, with some work focusing on organisational information behaviours and their contribution to information failures. Using the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power disaster as a case study this paper examines the impact of information behaviours on information failure, taking into account Affective Load Theory, Face Threat Theory and Escalation Theory. Content/Discourse analysis was carried out on four major reports on the Fukushima disaster, employing the constant comparison method of analysis to develop and explore categories representing different views of the actors involved. The findings revealed that an escalation of commitment to a 'myth of nuclear safety' occurred over the lifetime of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. This escalation ingrained information avoiding and ignoring behaviours in the Japanese nuclear industry, from the electric companies themselves to the local population living near nuclear power plants, allowing safety standards to fall, leaving Fukushima Daiichi vulnerable to threats such as earthquakes and tsunamis. A framework was developed explaining how escalating commitment interacts with information behaviour exhibited by the key actors in the situation.It is concluded that information avoiding behaviours were a major factor in the Fukushima Daiichi disaster. These, influenced by barriers created by an escalation of commitment to the 'myth of nuclear safety', resulted in a catastrophic information failure.

In his 1993 IEA keynote address, Neville Moray urged the ergonomics discipline to face up to the global problems facing humanity and consider how ergonomics might help find some of the solutions. In this State of Science article we critically evaluate what the ergonomics discipline has achieved in the last two and a half decades to help create a secure future for humanity. Moray's challenges for ergonomics included deriving a value structure that moves us beyond a Westernised view of worker-organisation-technology fit, taking a multidisciplinary approach which engages with other social and biological sciences, considering the gross cross-cultural factors that determine how different societies function, paying more attention to mindful consumption, and embracing the complexity of our interconnected world. This article takes a socio-historical approach by considering the factors that influence what has been achieved since Moray's keynote address. We conclude with our own set of predictions for the future and priorities for addressing the challenges that we are likely to face. Practitioner Summary: We critically reflect on what has been achieved by the ergonomics profession in addressing the global challenges raised by Moray's 1993 keynote address to the International Ergonomics Association. Apart from healthcare, the response has largely been weak and disorganised. We make suggestions for priority research and practice that is required to facilitate a sustainable future for humanity.

This article assesses the research on psychological assessment in post-apartheid South Africa from an organisational justice perspective. A search of peer-reviewed, published research on psychological assessment in organisations in South Africa was conducted from 2000 to March 2014. A total of 69 articles were found, of which the majority focused on the procedural justice of the instruments. Future research needs to focus on aspects of assessment that are related to interactional and distributive justice, if assessment is likely to be perceived as a fair and equitable practice in the workplace.

In this article, we explore the individual and organizational outcomes associated with a move from traditional buildings to three green buildings. Our findings revealed that high-level organizational measures were not notably affected by the move. Changes were, however, seen in physical well-being and perceived environmental comfort. The primary drivers were air quality and lighting. The need to consider human factors/ergonomics in green building design has been recognized by the Green Building Council of South Africa as an industry standard and as the starting point for the development of an interior design rating tool. Longer-term impacts of green buildings on organizationally relevant indicators still need to be established.