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Cultural factors and implementation of ergonomics in developing countries : (an industrial psychological study of selected cultural factors with specific reference to the transfer of technology within the eastern Mpumalanga Province, one of nine provinces of South Africa)

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: When considering the attitude of a workforce towards their work and ways of
increasing their motivation, attention must be given to their culture. Attitudes within In this study the influence of culture on the implementation of ergonomics was
studied with specific reference to the transfer of technology in developing countries.
Cultural diversity factors such as language/communication, religious beliefs,
anthropometrics, educational background time, ethnicity values, attitude and values
was measured using a specially designed questionnaire. It was completed by eighteen
managers representing seven large industries in the Mpumalanga province.
The cultural factor with the highest significance was 'time'. Others with high
significance were educational background, attitude, language/communication and
values. Ethnicity values, anthropometrics and religious beliefs were cultural factors
which was not considered to be significant, however the population was very small
and it is considered that they do contribute towards the implementation of
ergonomICS.
Training, imported technology and management are external factors, which make a
useful and practical contribution to the subject of Ergonomics and the implementation
thereof in organizations. If understood, cultural factors provide a much richer
environment and different viewpoints, which can increase productivity by the
effective use of technology.
an organization are due to the attitudes that exist in the culture from which the
members of the organization have come. Management practices, therefore, must cope
with the attitudes and prejudices of the cultures within the organization. These
cultures have been influenced by many factors like religious doctrine and history, not
primarily concerned with the efficiency and productivity of the organization.
Ergonomics aim at the optimization of the interaction between human and machine
and the operating environment. This can provide the information necessary to
promote an acceptable and efficient interaction between human-machine and
environment in any form of a human-at-work system.
In the process of technology transfer from Industrial Developed Countries to
Industrial Developing Countries, emphasis is laid on economic progress. Although
improvement of the economic situation and the standard of living is important to
achieve, neglecting ergonomic considerations is both economically expensive and
socially disturbing, thus creating negative effects in the country acquiring the
technology.
Ergonomics serve as a link between human factor considerations and the transfer of
technology. A comprehensive systems model of Ergonomics was used, which
indicates the interaction between facets emphasizing information as a core dynamic
process, which can be useful to ensure optimality of choices of technology. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Wanneer 'n werkerskorps ondersoek word met betrekking tot hul houdings teenoor
werk en wyses om hul motivering te verhoog, moet aandag geskenk word aan hul
kultuur. Houdings binne 'n organisasie ontstaan uit houdings wat reeds bestaan in die
kultuur waaruit lede van die organisasie oorspronklik kom. Bestuurspraktyke moet die
houdinge en bevooroordelings van kulture binne die organisasie hanteer. Hierdie
kulture is beYnvloed deur vele faktore soos geloofsdoktrines en geskiedenis wat nie
primer gerig is op die effektiwiteit en produktiwiteit van die organisasie nie.
Ergonomika het ten doel die optimisering van die interaksie tussen mens en masjien en
die omgewing van funksionering, wat die nodige inligting kan voorsien wat nodig is om
aanvaarbare en effektiewe interaksie te bewerkstellig tussen mens, masjien en die
omgewing ten opsige van enige mens-by-sy-werk sisteem.
In die proses van tegnologiese oordrag vanaf Industriele Ontwikkelde Lande na
Industriele Ontwikkelende Lande, word klem gele op ekonomiese vooruitgang.
Alhoewel verbetering van die ekonomiese situasie en 'n verhoging van die standaard
van lewe belangrik is om te bereik, sal die verwaardlosing van ergonomiese oorwegings
beide ekonomies duur en sosiaal verontrustend wees en gevolglik negatiewe effekte
veroorsaak binne die land wat die tegnologie moet verkry.
Ergonomika dien as 'n skakel tussen die menslike faktor oorwegings en die oordrag van
tegnologie. 'n Omvattende sisteem model van Ergonomika dui op die interaksie tussen
belangrike fasette van inligting as 'n dinamiese kern proses wat bruikbaar kan wees by
die optimisering van keuses van tegnologie.
In hierdie studie word die invloed van kulturele faktore op die implementering van
ergonomika bestudeer met spesifieke verwysing na die oordrag van tegnologie.
Kulturele diversiteitsfaktore soos taal/kommunikasie, gelowe, antropometrie,
opvoedkundige agtergrond, tyd, etniese waardes, houding en waardes is gemeet deur 'n
spesiaal ontwerpte vraelys. Dit is voltooi deur agtien bestuurders wat sewe groot
industriee in die Mpumalanga provinsie verteenwoordig.
Die kulturele faktor wat as die mees beduidend gemeet het is 'tyd'. Ander beduidende
faktore is opvoedkundige agtergrond, houdings, taal/kommunikasie en waardes. Nie
beduidende faktore naamlik, etnisiteit, antropometrie en gelowe is weI beskou as
bydraend in die implementering van ergonomika aangesien die populasie wat gemeet is
as relatief klein beskou kan word en moontlik in 'n groter populasie as beduidend kon
meet.
Opleiding, ingevoerde tegnologie en bestuur is eksterne faktore wat 'n waardevolle en
praktiese bydrae maak tot die vakgebied en die implementering van Ergonomika.
Kulturele diversiteit voorsien 'n ryk omgewing met verskillende uitgangspunte en
indien dit verstaan word kan dit lei tot verhoogde produktiwiteit deur verbeterde gebruik
van tegnologie.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51669
Date03 1900
CreatorsStrydom, J. (Joyce)
ContributorsCalitz, C. J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Industrial Psychology.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format124 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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