Mohammed-Aminu Sanda

Using systemic structural activity approach in identifying strategies enhancing human performance in mining production drilling activity

This article seeks to identify performance-enhancing strategies that could be used to improve and optimise human–technology collaboration in rock drilling ‘activity’ in deep mines. Results from the analysis of miners’ motor actions during rock drilling activity showed that by using procedurally driven strategies, they were able to perform simultaneously two specific tasks that required high levels of concentration and visual control in the normal visual field available to them from inside the protective cabin of the high-technology equipment they were using. The miners simultaneously combine their mental actions and motor actions in recognising and remedying the constraining effects of unfamiliar stimuli during the rock drilling task. It is concluded that the functional efficiency and effectiveness of rock drilling as well as the miners productive performance in future automated and digitised deep mines could be enhanced by identifying the procedural characteristics of their performance-enhancing actions and operational strategies.

Understanding social collaboration between actors and technology in an automated and digitised deep mining environment

The purpose of this article is to develop knowledge and learning on the best way to automate organisational activities in deep mines that could lead to the creation of harmony between the human, technical and the social system, towards increased productivity. The findings showed that though the introduction of high-level technological tools in the work environment disrupted the social relations developed over time amongst the employees in most situations, the technological tools themselves became substitute social collaborative partners to the employees. It is concluded that, in developing a digitised mining production system, knowledge of the social collaboration between the humans (miners) and the technology they use for their work must be developed. By implication, knowledge of the humans subject-oriented and object-oriented activities should be considered as an important integral resource for developing a better technological, organisational and human interactive subsystem when designing the intelligent automation and digitisation systems for deep mines. Statement of Relevance: This study focused on understanding the social collaboration between humans and the technologies they use to work in underground mines. The learning provides an added knowledge in designing technologies and work organisations that could better enhance the human–technology interactive and collaborative system in the automation and digitisation of underground mines.

Influencing dynamics of culture and employee factors on retail banks’ performances in a developing country context

PurposeThis paper investigated the influencing dynamics of culture (national and organizational), employee characteristics, employee job satisfaction, and organizational commitment in determining o ...

Cognitive and Emotional-Motivational Implications in the Job Design of Digitized Production Drilling in Deep Mines

The aim of this paper was to understand the influence of cognitive and emotional-motivational aspects of task complexity on workers performances in high-technology driven drilling activity in a deep mine. Data was collected by observing and video recording miners’ engaged in two separate production drilling activities, using two Boomers simultaneously. Based on the analysis, it is found that the workers encounter cognitive challenges in their ability to process information marked on rock surfaces for the positioning of the boomers, resulting in added complexity to their drilling tasks. The workers’ were also found to have issues with the quality of their designed job environment, and which emotional-motivational challenge also added to their tasks complexity. It is concluded that by understanding the emerging cognitive and emotional-motivational aspects of task complexities, future design processes of a friendly and performance enhancing work environments and technologies could evolve for efficient and effective human work.

Mediating Subjective Task Complexity in Job Design: A Critical Reflection of Historicity in Self-regulatory Activity

This paper critically reflects on the influence of historicity in self-regulatory activity towards mediating subjective task complexity in job design. This is based on the growing interest of using the ‘practice’ approach in overcoming the gap between the theoretical understanding of what people do and the realistic understanding of what people actually do at the workplace. The paper argued that since an objective analysis of the number of alternatives presented in any given situation will not always coincide with subjective perceptions, and the individual’s lack of knowledge about the external world may result in his/her inability to accurately predict the outcomes of his/her decisions, then it is important to understand how an individual acquire knowledge about his/her external world of work, and also if its consequential effect on the routine is acquired through the recollections of the subconscious mind’s daily encounters at the work situations.

Visibilization of Hidden Characteristics of Firefighting Tasks and Factors Predictive of Firefighters’ Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

Based on the notion that the Fire-service profession is a strenuous and hazardous occupation, this study explored and identified the hidden characteristics of firefighting tasks, and factors predictive of firefighters’ work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the Ghana Fire Service. Quantitative data was collected from three hundred and six firefighters and analyzed using both factor and correlation analysis. It was found that the firefighters experience several traumas characterized by exposure to human entrapment and loss in fires accidents, and personal terrible sensory experiences, the enormity of which increase with increasing years of firefighting-task performance. The firefighters are also exposed to several WMSDs whose enormity is felt irrespective of years of task performance. It is concluded that the identified hidden aspects of the firefighting-task characteristics provide insights into the enormity of trauma and WMSD associated with the task performance, which could be used to optimize the future design and management of the firefighting-task.

Dichotomy of Historicity and Subjective Perception of Complexity in Individuals’ Activity Goal Formation and Decision Outcomes

This study examined how the historicity of individuals’ organizational activity and subjective perception of task complexity influence individuals’ activity goal formations, strategies and decision outcomes considerations. The findings showed that conscious goal-directed processes of individuals are influenced by the dichotomy of historicity and their subjective perceptions of task complexity. It is concluded that; when “highest goal” is desired for an impending task, the dichotomous relationship of historicity of the individual’s self-regulation activity and his/her subjective perception of task complexity will have direct influence on both his/her Activity Goal Formation and decision outcome processes, while his/her activity strategies consideration will be directly influenced by only the historicity of his/her self-regulation activity. Also, when “best goal is desired, the dichotomous relationship will directly influence only the individual’s consideration of decision outcomes, while both his/her Activity Goal Formation and strategies consideration will be directly influenced by only the historicity of his/her self-regulation activity.

Understanding the Effect of Emotional Exhaustion on Tellers’ Job Satisfaction in Teller-Task Activity in Ghanaian Retail Banks

This study explored the influencing dynamics of tellers’ emotional exhaustion on their job satisfaction necessitated by the increased customer demand of direct teller service in the banking halls, as against the usage of automated teller machines in Ghana. Using a cross-sectional design, quantitative data was collected from five banks with similar institutional arrangements for teller work. Results from factor analysis identified seven factors that are indicative of the tellers’ emotional exhaustion, and four factors that are indicative of their job satisfaction. Results from correlation and regression analyses showed that a rise in the tellers’ emotional exhaustion reduces their satisfaction with the teller job. It is concluded that tellers become emotionally exhausted and dissatisfied with their jobs due to the absence of human resources management mechanisms that could have enabled the efficient design of the teller task and work environments that are conducive with bonded relationships between tellers’ and their supervisors.

Digitization of Industrial Work Environments and the Emerging Challenges of Human-Digitized System Collaborative Work Organization Design

This paper discussed how the digitization of human work affect human performance of digitized work entailing both physical and mental activities, as well as the human’s social interaction entailing collaboration between the human’s and the digitized work system. It is posited that in the digitization process of the industrial work environment, the digitized system designer’s lack of knowledge about the external world of the embedded humans may result in the designer’s inability to accurately predict the outcomes of his/her decisions on work organization, especially the creation of positive collaboration and social harmony between digitized systems and humans towards enhanced productivity. It is concluded that analytic strategies for understanding the interactive work dynamics between humans and digitized systems, which can serve as key for identifying both the innovative and constraining characteristics of effective and efficient association between humans and digitized work systems towards collaborative work organization design should be developed.

An Organizational Activity Framework for Effective Business Practices Implementation in Research-Oriented Organizations in Developing Economies

This paper explored the constraints to business practices implementation by Research-Oriented Organizations in Developing Economies. Guided by organizational activity, sociotechnical and macroergon ...