Department of Management, Technology and Economics, ETH Zürich, Weinbergstrasse 56/58, CH-8092 Zürich, Switzerland.
Appl Ergon. 2014 Jan;45(1):33-9. doi: 10.1016/j.apergo.2013.03.020. Epub 2013 Apr 23.
It is frequently lamented that human factors and ergonomics knowledge does not receive the attention and consideration that it deserves. In this paper I argue that in order to change this situation human factors/ergonomics based system design needs to be positioned as a strategic task within a conceptual framework that incorporates both business and design concerns. The management of uncertainty is presented as a viable candidate for such a framework. A case is described where human factors/ergonomics experts in a railway company have used the management of uncertainty perspective to address strategic concerns at firm level. Furthermore, system design is discussed in view of the relationship between organization and technology more broadly. System designers need to be supported in better understanding this relationship in order to cope with the uncertainties this relationship brings to the design process itself. Finally, the emphasis on uncertainty embedded in the recent surge of introducing risk management across all business sectors is suggested as another opportunity for bringing human factors and ergonomics expertise to the fore.
人们常常感叹，人类因素和工效学知识并没有得到应有的重视和考虑。在本文中，我认为要改变这种状况，就需要将基于人类因素/工效学的系统设计定位为一个战略任务，纳入一个包含商业和设计关注点的概念框架中。不确定性管理被提出作为这样一个框架的一个可行的候选方案。本文描述了一个案例，一家铁路公司的人类因素/工效学专家使用不确定性管理的视角来解决公司层面的战略问题。此外，还从更广泛的组织和技术关系的角度讨论了系统设计。为了应对这种关系给设计过程本身带来的不确定性，系统设计者需要得到更好的支持，以更好地理解这种关系。最后，建议将最近在所有商业领域引入风险管理热潮所强调的不确定性作为将人类因素和工效学专业知识推向前沿的另一个机会。
