Issue 1/2 Vol. 38 1996

Ethical considerations in the work science

GRAF HOYOS, C.

Since a couple of years, work science as well as ergonomics have been concerned with the question which ethical premises should be taken in consideration in their activities. This discussion will be continued in this article. As a main concept, responsibility and responsible behavior has been established. In this view, special problems raise because, as a rule, several actors are involved in respective decisions and interventions. A common responsibility must be reached. With respect to the actual conditions in industry and services preventive responsibility is needed, instead of avoiding responsibility which has been probably adequate in earlier times. - Work design and redesign -dominant tasks of work scientists and ergonomists - are required to apply principles of humanity. Traditional lists of such principles will be discussed in general and with special emphasis on freedom of injury and on personal growth. Primarily, the question must be discussed which people should take which risks and how acceptance of risks may be reached. Moreover, in this article the question will be raised how to complete and enlarge common lists of principles for humanizing work. - Finally, aspects of the application of behavioral technologies as well as design principles will be ventilated under ethical concern, particularly, how to involve all members of an organisation in the efforts for humanizing work.

Keywords: responsibility, criteria of humanizing work, work design, behaviour technologies

Short Title: Graf hoyos, C. (1996) PsyBeit 1-2:164

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