Supporting human factors and ergonomics professionals in anticipating future work changes in response to the anthropocene

Abstract

Ergonomics is evolving towards including a broader consideration of ecological and political factors in the design of work environments by adopting an interconnected systems paradigm, highlighting the importance of considering the ecological and political impacts of business. The emergence of ‘green ergonomics’ encourages sustainable human systems integrated in their natural environment, while respecting ethical values such as respect for human rights and diversity. On the one hand, this is leading to new areas of ergonomic research and intervention, such as energy management and corporate CSR, and on the other, to the need to develop specific skills to anticipate the future in innovative ways. For Human Factors and Ergonomics professionals (HF&E professionals), this means adopting prospective approaches that incorporate tools and methods to promote foresight, as well as creativity to imagine potential future work activities.

Keywords:

• Anthropocene
• Entrepocene
• Futures Literacy
• Future of work
• Prospective ergonomics

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.