| dc.description.abstract | The focus of this study was to determine the relative importance
attached to ergonomic factors by IT consultants, their actual
consideration of ergonomics factors, and constraints to the actual
consideration of the same factors in the information systems that
they implement in Kenya. The need for this study arises from the
fact that whereas ergonomics need to be considered in information
systems implemented, the state of ergonomics considered in Kenya
is not known. Thus, this study was timely and would provide a
foundation for further research on computer ergonomics, III
information systems implemented by IT consultants in Kenya.
With the increased number of activities that demand the use of
computers, there is an expected increase in computer usage and
work related human health. problems unless ergonomic factors are
considered. In respect of this, the study addressed the following
questions: 1) What level of importance do IT consultants attach to
computer ergonomic (actors? 2) What ergonomic factors do IT
consultants actually consider during implementation? 3) What are
the factors that inhibit the implementation of ergonomic factors? IT
consultants were chosen as the respondents in this study because
they playa key role in implementing computer-based information
systems, hence in sensitizing the end-users about the need for
computer ergonomics consideration in their information systems.
They are also expected to integrate ergonomics into the information
systems they implement.
Data for this study were collected from a population of 77 IT firms
in Nairobi, Kenya, using self-administered questionnaires. Of the
77 questionnaires given out, 41 were successfully filled and
collected. The data obtained pertained to the level of importance
attached to ergonomic factors by IT consultants, the ergonomic
factors actually considered during information systems
implementation and the constraints that hindered the
implementation of the ergonomic factors. These data were
subjected to analysis through descriptive statistics with the aid of
a statistical package for social sciences (SPSS).
The results overall revealed that most of the IT consultants
considered ergonomic factors as extremely important, and this
importance varied from one ergonomic factor to another. For
example 36.6% of the IT consultants considered anthropometries
as extremely important compared to 4.9 % of the same consultants
who considered them as not important at all. Also, 70% of the IT
consultants considered climate as extremely important compared
to 4.9% who considered it-as not important at all. The results also
revealed that most of the IT consultants actually considered
ergonomic factors in the information systems they implemented.
This again varied from factor to factor. For example 95.1% of the
respondents actually considered lighting in their installations
compared to only 4.9% who did not, while 92.7% actually
considered climate compared to 7.3% who did not.
Constraints that hindered the actual consideration of computer
ergonomic factors were also provided for in the questionnaire. The
constraint, " the development, resource and implementation costs"
was encountered as the most common constraint, with change
training posting the highest responses of 56.1% of the total
responses, while software design posted 7.3%, the least responses
for the same constraint. The second highest constraint was "'play
down' on the impact of the ergonomic factors", which had shift
work and work surface recording 37.1% each. Support systems
had the least posting of 7.3 for this factor. The least considered
constraint was the "presence of inflexible information systems",
which had an thropometrics as the highest recorded ergonomic
factor (22%) that was inhibited by this constraint and most of the
ergonormc factors recording a response of 2.4% for the same
constraint. These were, biomechanics, change training, climate,
furniture design, management systems physical and work surface.
Though conclusions reached were general and tentative, overall,
they appeared to suggest that most of IT consultants in Nairobi,
Kenya find ergonomics extremely important and actually consider
in the information systems they implement albeit the constraints. | en |
