annualreport1999

IIHFD

Annual Reports

1999

The Human Factor In Nation Building

Senyo Adjibolosoo, Faculty of Business & Economics, Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C., Canada

One of the greatest desires of every human being is to live in a society where people respect human dignity liberty, justice, fairness, equity, and other human rights. Unfortunately, however, when the civil liberties are non-existent in any society, the inhabitants will not enjoy the kind of peace they long for. To make sure that the civil liberties prevail, all citizens need to work together to build a more humane society. It is argued in this paper that without the human factor, it is impossible to create the desired society. Human factor decay is destructive to the peacemaking process, nation building activities, and economic development program. The failure to develop all the dimensions of the human factor will lead to social, economic, and political decay.

RÉSUMÉ: Le respect de la dignité humaine, la liberté, la justice et l’équité sont des libertés civiles sans lesquelles aucune société ne saurait vivre en paix. Pour faire prévaloir ces libertés, il incombe à tous les citoyens de travailler ensemble pour construire une société plus humaine. Le présent article soutient qu’en l’absence du facteur humain il est impossible de créer et de maintenair une telle société. La décadence du facteur humain est fortement préjudiciable au maintien de la paix, à l’edification d’une nation ainsi qu’au développement économique. Par conséquent, pour éviter la décadence sociale, économique et culturelle, il est important de développer toutes les dimensions du facteur humain.

Journal of Human Factor Studies 5(1/2): 1-15
© 1999 International Institute for Human Factor Development

Human Factor, Paternal Presence In The Home, And Child Outcome Among The Yoruba Of Southwest Nigeria

Oluyomi A. Ogunnaike, College of Professional Studies, University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point

The presence of the father in the home has a significant impact on family well -being. His dedication, sense of responsibility and commitment to his family are characteristics of the Human Factor (HF) personality spectrum that are essential to the overall development and well - being of any society. To better understand the relationship between father’s presence and the Human Factor (HF) for the purpose of policy formulation, the present paper explores the relationship between paternal presence and toddlers’ cognitive performance among the Yoruba of southwest Nigeria. Findings indicate that not only is father’s presence associated with enhance cognitive performance of Yoruba toddlers, but also fathers who live in the homes have fewer wives, participate in child care, engage in skilled labor, and provide economic contributions towards feeding affect child development. In essence, paternal presence in the home is strongly associated with a commitment to family welfare and availability of economic resources to meet such a commitment. These findings reiterate the salience of the Human Factor elements of responsibility and commitment and the need for a reawakening of the human qualities that promote diligence, accountability, and dedication.

RÉSUMÉ: Cet article examine l’importance de la présence du père dans le foyer sous l’angle du facteur humain. Le sens de responsabilité et le dévouement à sa famille sont des caractéristiques du facteur humain qui sont essentielles au développement harmonieux de toute société. Pour illustrer cette thèse, l’auteur du présent article présente l’exemple du rôle du père dans le développement de l’enfant dans la société yoruba au Nigéria. Des recherches ont démontré que non seulement la présence du père dans le foyer renforce la faculté cognitive de ses enfants, mais aussi que les maris qui vivent dans leur foyer conjugal ont moins d’épouses, travaillent et prennent soin de leurs enfants. Dans la société yoruba, la présence du père dans le foyer est associée à l’engagement.

Journal of Human Factor Studies 5(1/2): 17-32
© 1999 International Institute for Human Factor Development

The Human Personal Factor As Moral Agency: Philosophical Foundations

Paul K. Moser, Department of Philosophy, Loyola University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA

The question, "What is a human person?" has perplexed theorists since the very beginning of human theorizing. The natural and social sciences as well as the humanities attend to this important question with various direct and indirect methods and thus with various theoretical results. This article investigates the philosophical foundations of the issue, devoting special attention to materialist and naturalist approaches. The article contends that materialist and naturalist approaches suffer grave explanatory defects, and that an adequate approach must acknowledge the crucial role of intentional agency in the constitution of human persons. In addition, the article proposes that the kind of intentional agency distinctive to human persons is moral intentional agency. Such moral agency requires the capacity to use moral judgments in rational decision-making that is genuinely other-regarding relative to all others due moral consideration.

RÉSUMÉ: Cet article explore la question de la personnalité humaine en s’intéressant plus particulièrement aux thèses matérialiste et naturaliste qu’il juge peu satisfaisantes, parce qu’elles ignorent le rôle déterminant de l’agent intentionnel dans la constitution de l’être humain. L’article soutient par ailleurs que l’agent intentionnel qui distingue l’espèce humaine des autres espèces est l’agent moral. C’est en effet cet agent qui pousse l’être humain à faire des considérations d’ordre moral dans ses prises de décision.

Journal of Human Factor Studies 5(1/2): 33-42
© 1999 International Institute for Human Factor Development

The Health Responsibility Model: Promoting Responsible Health From The Human Factor Perspective

Bruce D. LeBlanc, Department of Social and Behavioral Studies, Black Hawk College, Moline, IL. USA

The field of health psychology utilizes a number of theoretical models, including Reasoned Action and the Health Belief Model, to examine and explain health behaviors and health interventions. These models, although useful, seek to explain health behaviors at the mico-level of analysis from “reactive” perspectives regarding individual interventions. What is proposed is a Health Responsibility Model (HRM) that incorporates responsibility, accountability and integrity; the latter being operational components of the Human Factor Paradigm. The HRM is a three-phase model, which recognizes genetic and social influences regarding health, while expecting individual awareness and action to counter these influences. The model promotes a proactive, rather than reactive, perspective regarding both genetically and socially influenced health conditions, an operational premise that could transform the health care institution. The Health Responsibility Model is unique as it promotes a paradigm shift to a meta-micro-level of analysis; a perspective that can incorporate the dominate theoretical models in health psychology. The Human Factor Paradigm provides a framework for not only articulating the components of the model but also maintaining its proactive nature by utilizing human potentials, abilities, capital and moral capital. The utilization of these human factor qualities, the incorporation of the dominant models in health psychology, and policy recommendations are presented.

RÉSUMÉ: L’article propose un modèle de responsabilité en matière de santé qui incorpore les notions de responsabilité et d’intégrité. Ces notions font partie des caractéristiques du facteur humain. Le modèle de responsabilité en matière de santé comporte trois phases. Tout en reconnaissant les influences génétiques et sociales sur la santé, ce modèle encourage la prise de conscience et l’action individuelles pour lutter contre ces influences. Il met ainsi l’accent sur l’action préventive en matière de santé. Son originalité vient du fait qu’il nous encourage à une approche microanalytique.

Journal of Human Factor Studies 5(1/2): 43-57
© 1999 International Institute for Human Factor Development

Economic Development Models And The Human Factor

Harold J. Harder, Faculty of Business and Economics, Trinity Western University, Langley, B.C., Canada

The relationship of models of economic development in less developed countries to the human factor is explored with particular focus on comparing large-scale industrial development to micro-enterprise development. It is observed that micro-enterprise development emphasizes the involvement of many people in the process of economic development. In empowering many people to participate in processes that require responsibility, diligence, and integrity, success is more likely than if power is too concentrated. However, with any approach to economic development, the role of a well-developed human factor is critical to ensure success.

RÉSUMÉ: Cet article examine la relation qui existe entre les modèles de développement économique dans les pays les moins avancés et le facteur humain, en comparant les grandes entreprises industrielles aux micro-entreprises. Les micro-entreprises mettent l’accent sur la participation d’un plus grand nombre de personnes au processus de développement économique. En permettant à un grand nombre de personnes de participer à un processus qui demande un sens de la responsabilité de la diligence et de l’intégrité, on augmente les chances de succès, à l’inverse d’un processus de développement qui favorise une trop grande concentration de pouvoir. Ici, comme ailleurs, le développement du facteur humain reste la clef du succès.

Journal of Human Factor Studies 5(1/2): 59-70
© 1999 International Institute for Human Factor Development

The Impact Of Globalization And Human Factor On Tourism Development

Francis Adu-Febiri, Department of Social Sciences, Camosun College, Victoria, Canada

Contrary to the expectations of the advocacy platform, the tourism equivalent of the modernization theoretical perspective, the tremendous growth of tourism in the twentieth century has failed to achieve socio-economic development breakthrough for the greater majority of the world’s population. This failure is attributable to the globalization processes driven by economic imperatives at the expense of cultivation and application of appropriate human factor (HF).1 Tourism development, as an integral part of the globalization processes, has so far focused on capital investment in transportation and accommodation facilities, hospitality services, marketing, and human capital2 at the expense of cultural practices. This economic bias of tourism development as an integral part of globalization is the primary source of HF decay and/or underdevelopment among tourist generating and destination communities, tourists and tourisiers.3 HF decay and/or underdevelopment, in turn, greatly limit the development potential of tourism. The focus of tourism development, therefore, needs to shift from economics to the cultural practices of generating and destination communities, tourists and tourisiers. Adequate proportion of tourism investment must be channeled into helping all the people involved in the industry to acquire and apply appropriate HF qualities, particularly responsibility, accountability, loving-kindness, selflessness and commitment.

RÉSUMÉ: Contrairement aux attentes de l’école de pensée qui voyait dans le tourisme un moteur de modernisation, le développement du tourisme au cours du vingtième siècle n’a pas réussi à conduire au développement socio-économique de la majorité de la population du globe. On peut attribuer cet échec au processus de mondialisation guidé par des impératifs économiques au détriment de la promotion des caractéristiques du facteur humain. En tant que partie intégrante du processus de mondialisation, le secteur du tourisme a surtout investi dans le développement du transport, de l’infrastructure hôtellière et des services connexes, du marketing et du capital humain. Cette approche qui a négligé l’importance de la culture a conduit à la décadence des caractéristiques du facteur human dans les régions qui vivent du tourisme et au sein de toute l’industrie.

Survival Of Urban Women Under Esap In Masvingo, Zimbabwe

Victor Ngonidzashe Muzvidziwa, Department of Sociology, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe

Perhaps because the impact of the Economic Structural Adjustment Program (ESAP) in Zimbabwe has been particularly negative and has affected women more than men, female heads of households in Masvingo responded by mobilizing and gearing themselves to meet the challenges of ESAP. While the majority of the women in my study continued to struggle to subsist in town under deteriorating socio-economic conditions, contrary to expectations a minority of female heads of households in my study managed not just to cope with urban poverty, but to climb out of poverty. ESAP for this successful minority might thus have produced a long-term, positive, but unintended effect of empowering women within the economic field. ESAP in a minority of cases might be the stimulant to the growing economic independence of women in cities. The paper argues that despite the limited successes it is important to guard against the tendency to exaggerate the capacity of women to survive in urban environments under ESAP.

Can Human Factor Concept Be Taught? An Preliminary Institutional Survey And Report

Abour H. Cherif, Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA;

Stefanos Gialamas, The Illinois Institute of Art, Chicago, Illinois, USA;

Benjamin Ofori-Amoah, University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Stevens Point, Wisconsin, USA

Given the crucial role of education in implementing the human factor idea, the authors of this study empirically examined, the question of whether or not the human factor concept as identified by the International Institute For human factor Development (IIHFD) can be taught in the classroom setting.

In this paper, the authors define teaching and its relation to education and the development of the appropriate human factor qualities. Then, they describe the research methodology and the results of the study. Finally, they discuss the implications of the results, the conclusion and provide recommendations for policy and implementation.

In their study, the authors concluded that human factor concept can be taught in the classroom and in a formal educational setting. But because people have been exposed throughout their lives to a wide variety of values, issues, and difficult situations that collectively mold their views and beliefs in and about dedication, responsibility, accountability, honesty and integrity both in life and work, education cannot be effective if it is not supported by internal factors, external factors, and personal factors.

External factors include the behavior of members of the government, elected officials, community, civic, and spiritual leaders, teachers, and famous and popular sports, movie, and other well known personalities Internal factors include those values practiced by your family members. Personal Factors include awareness of the power and unique capacity within every individual to learn, to understand and to know when and how to act or behave in difficult situations.