Work and sustainability: contributions of activity-centered ergonomics and work psychodynamics.

Organizações alinhadas com a sustentabilidade consideram em suas ações aspectos relacionados com as dimensões ambiental, econômica e social e devem ser constituídas de sistemas de produção sustentáveis e, consequentemente, possuir ambientes de trabalho saudáveis. Nesse sentido, se o recurso humano é um dos maiores ativos das organizações, deve-se, então, garantir a sua sustentabilidade. Não é simplesmente uma questão de perenizar esse recurso, mas de criar oportunidades para o desenvolvimento profissional e a construção da sua saúde em um sentido amplo. Isso implica que uma análise do sistema de produção envolva, também, o aspecto social, considerando inclusive o trabalho em si, destacando a importância do trabalho para a vida dos sujeitos, assim como a sua contribuição para a qualidade e para a produtividade, bem como para o próprio desenvolvimento da sociedade e da cultura. Sendo assim, por meio de análise documental e estudos de casos realizados em 10 organizações engajadas em sustentabilidade, esta pesquisa tem o objetivo de estabelecer as contribuições da ergonomia da atividade e da psicodinâmica do trabalho para a consideração do tema Trabalho em um contexto de sustentabilidade corporativa. Para tanto, inicialmente foram identificadas as ações de sustentabilidade relacionadas ao tema Trabalho, tanto no universo teórico quanto no universo corporativo, tais como: a consideração dos direitos humanos e do trabalho decente, inclusive nas práticas da cadeia de suprimentos; o incentivo ao trabalho voluntário; o investimento em desenvolvimento profissional; os programas de saúde e bem-estar e os de saúde e segurança no trabalho. Foram verificados também os elementos comuns da sustentabilidade, sendo eles a consideração: de valores e da ética; da temporalidade; das múltiplas escalas de análise; das várias dimensões; e da interdependência e da integração entre esses elementos. Por fim, um diálogo com a ergonomia da atividade e a psicodinâmica do trabalho explicita a necessidade de se reconhecer e incorporar a centralidade do trabalho, no sentido do trabalhar, considerando o papel fundamental da subjetividade, do conteúdo e da organização do trabalho para, no limite, o trabalho levar à felicidade. Dessa forma, trabalho é acreditado ser aquele que, provido de sentido e permeado pelas relações de confiança e cooperação, melhora o desempenho da organização, promove o desenvolvimento profissional, possibilita a construção da saúde dos trabalhadores em um sentido amplo e positivo, favorece o desenvolvimento da criatividade e a mobilização das inteligências, considerando a relevância das questões físicas, cognitivas e organizacionais e, sobretudo, a sua centralidade para o desenvolvimento da cultura e da sociedade.Organizations aligned with sustainability take into account in their actions aspects related to the environmental, economic and social dimensions and shall make use of sustainable production systems and therefore possess a healthy working environment. In this sense, the \"human resource\" is one of the greatest assets of the organizations, and its sustainability must be ensured. It is not simply a matter of perpetuating this \"resource\", but to create opportunities for professional development and the construction of their health in a broad sense. This implies an analysis of the work system that also involves the social aspect, considering even the work itself, highlighting the importance of the work for the life of the subject, as well as its contribution to the quality and productivity as well as the development of society and culture. Thus, through document analysis and case studies in 10 organizations engaged in sustainability, this research aims to establish the contributions of activity-centered ergonomics and work psychodynamics in consideration of the topic Work in a context of corporate sustainability. Therefore, initially, the sustainability actions related to this subject was identified in both the theoretical universe as in the corporate world, such as: the account of human rights and decent work, including the supply chain; the encouragement of volunteer work; the investment in professional development; health and well-being programs and health and safety at work programs. Also examined were the common elements of sustainability, namely: values and ethics; temporality; the multiple scales of analysis; the various dimensions; and the interdependence and integration between these elements. Finally, a dialogue with the activity-centered ergonomics and the psychodynamics of work explains the need to recognize and incorporate the importance of work, considering the fundamental roles of the subjectivity, the content and the work organization, in order to achieve a happiness state. Therefore, work is believed to be the one that, provided of meaning and permeated by relations of trust and cooperation, enhances the performance of the organization, promotes professional development, enables the construction of workers\' health in a broad sense, favors the development of creativity and the intelligence mobilization, considering the importance of physical, cognitive and organizational matters and, especially, its centrality to the development of culture and society

Integrated treatment of electric energy and natural resources in residential and commercial sectors entrepreneurship.

Esse trabalho busca trazer uma contribuição efetiva e prática ao pensamento sustentável: \"Pense globalmente, aja localmente\", através da proposição de uma metodologia de avaliação assentada em uma visão integrada dos recursos naturais. Neste sentido, a necessidade de considerar a preservação dos recursos naturais, a redução da emissão de gases de efeito estufa, a conservação e a eficiência energética, se impõe como tema que deve ser abordado nos mais variados setores da economia, envolvendo desde uma visão global da matriz de consumo dos bens do planeta até uma abordagem microlocal, como, por exemplo, em empreendimentos relacionados aos setores residencial (residências, condomínios, prédios, áreas urbanas, etc.) e comercial (hotéis, shoppings, hospitais, restaurantes, etc.). A metodologia apresentada permite a análise da utilização dos recursos de forma racional, privilegiando, além da conservação e do uso eficiente, as sinergias nas suas utilizações. Assim, depois de levantadas as necessidades a serem atendidas em um empreendimento residencial ou comercial, bem como os recursos naturais disponíveis, será possível estabelecer, dentro das possibilidades factíveis, a combinação de recursos que represente o melhor aproveitamento na sua utilização como um todo, privilegiando de forma integrada a sustentabilidade. Para exemplificá-la e, simultaneamente, validá-la, a metodologia foi aplicada em um estudo de caso prático de uma residência. Assim, seguindo os passos metodológicos, inicialmente analisou-se a residência através de um balanço do fluxo de energia e matéria a partir das entradas de recursos naturais (energia, água, e outros recursos) e saídas (lixo, materiais e água com resíduos) que ocorrem nos processos e serviços da residência responsáveis pelo atendimento das necessidades humanas e do conforto, tais como: alimentação, higiene, iluminação, transporte, conforto térmico, lavagem de roupa, lazer e cultura, entre outros. Esta análise auxilia na identificação de perdas, desperdícios e possibilidades de transformações, permitindo, através da inclusão de tecnologias mais adequadas ambientalmente e do uso racional dos recursos, maior eficiência e conservação ao empreendimento.This study aims to contribute effectively and practically to sustainable thinking: \"Think globally, act locally\", through the proposal of a methodology of evaluation established on an integrated vision of natural resources. Thus, the need to consider the preservation of natural resources, the reduction of gas emission which contributes to greenhouse effect, energy conservation and efficiency, stands as a subject that must be discussed in all economic sectors, involving a global view of the planet\'s natural resources to the microlocal approach, such as in residential sector entrepreneurship (houses, condominiums, buildings, urban areas, etc.) and commercial sectors (hotels, malls, hospitals, restaurants, etc.). The presented methodology allows the analysis of a rational way of utilization of resources, which enables conservation and efficient use, and the synergies of their utilizations. Thus, after identifying the needs to be met in a residential or commercial entrepreneurship, as well as the available natural resources, it will be possible to establish, within the feasibilities, a combination of resources which represents the best utilization as a whole, favoring sustainability in an integrated way. As an example, and also to validate it, the methodology was applied in a practical case study of a house. Thus, following the methodological steps, at first a house was analyzed through a balance of energy and materials based on natural resources inflow (energy, water, and others) and outflow (garbage and residual water or materials) which occurs in the household processes and services that attend to the human needs and comfort, such as: food, hygiene, lighting, laundry, cleaning, transportation, temperature control, leisure and culture, among others. This analysis helps to identify natural resources wastage and possibilities of changes, which warrant to the entrepreneurship a better efficiency and conservation, through the inclusion of technologies which are more suitable to the environment, and through a rational utilization of natural resources

Involvement and emancipation of the worker: action research in a university hospital

The present action research article is linked to an ergonomics project in a university hospital. The author’s proposal is to focus action on the effective worker involvement required for the creation of spaces/mechanisms within organizations where people can enhance cooperation and deliberation on matters relating to work. For this purpose, a committee was introduced to assist in finding problems and solutions directly in work situations, so that workers could experience relative autonomy allowing them to develop procedures and choose tools appropriate to their own real needs. Based on this organizational implementation and on subsequent interviews, the practical results are analyzed and related to employee involvement. One can conclude that workers in all areas of the organization can be active elements for improving working conditions and productivity in companie

The workers role in knowledge management and sustainability policies

Based on the concepts of sustainability and knowledge management, this article seeks to identify points of contact between the two themes through an exploratory study of existing literature. The first objective is to find, in international literature, the largest number of papers jointly related to the theme of knowledge management and sustainability. In these documents, the authors looked at the kind of relationship existing between the two themes and what the benefits introduced in organizations are. Based on an ergonomic point of view, the second objective of this article is to analyze the role of the worker (whether at the strategic or operational level) and his importance in this context. The results demonstrate that there is very little literature that addresses the two themes together. The few papers found, however, can be said to show the many advantages of introducing sustainability policies supported by adequate knowledge management. Very little has been studied with regards to the role of workers, which could be interpreted as meaning that little importance is given to the proactive role they may play. On the other hand, there is a high potential for future research in these areas, based on the high level of consideration of workers in knowledge management and sustainability literature, as well as in literature in the areas of ergonomics and sociology

Mapping the relationships between work and sustainability and the opportunities for ergonomic action

A map was drawn up of the relationships between work (in its multiple interpretations) and sustain- ability (sustainable development and corporate sustainability) based on a bibliographic analysis of ar- ticles that discuss these themes jointly in the current academic literature. The position of the discipline of ergonomics focused on work was identi fi ed from this map and, based on its speci fi c academic literature, it was possible to identify where this discipline could contribute so that work and workers can be included in the discourse of sustainable development and considered in corporate sustainability policies. Ergonomics can be actively in fl uential within the organization on issues relating to work improvements; it may boost integrated increases in the organization ’ s performance and in workers ’ well-being; it can provide support for changes and new (environmental) sustainability-related work requirements to be considered; and it can contribute to the de fi nition of the concept of work in a context of sustainable developmen

The workers role in knowledge management and sustainability policies

Based on the concepts of sustainability and knowledge management, this article seeks to identify points of contact between the two themes through an exploratory study of existing literature. The first objective is to find, in international literature, the largest number of papers jointly related to the theme of knowledge management and sustainability. In these documents, the authors looked at the kind of relationship existing between the two themes and what the benefits introduced in organizations are. Based on an ergonomic point of view, the second objective of this article is to analyze the role of the worker (whether at the strategic or operational level) and his importance in this context. The results demonstrate that there is very little literature that addresses the two themes together. The few papers found, however, can be said to show the many advantages of introducing sustainability policies supported by adequate knowledge management. Very little has been studied with regards to the role of workers, which could be interpreted as meaning that little importance is given to the proactive role they may play. On the other hand, there is a high potential for future research in these areas, based on the high level of consideration of workers in knowledge management and sustainability literature, as well as in literature in the areas of ergonomics and sociolog

Contributions of ergonomics to the construction of bus drivers health and excellence in public transport and at work

This article is the product of research that analyzed the work of bus drivers of a public transportation company that is considered a benchmark reference in its field of operations, in which it strives to achieve operating excellence. Within thi s context, the authors sought to understand how such a company has managed to maintain a policy that is capable of reconciling quality public transport while also providing working conditions compatible with the professional development, comfort and health of its workers. Ergonomic work analysis and activity analysis were the guiding elements used in this study. Initial analyses indicate that the activity of drivers includes serving a populat ion and providing mobility for it, which depends on driving the vehicle itself and on relationships with colleagues, users, pedestrians, drivers and other