ABSTRACT
Working activities are always productive in more than one respect. Concrete or imaginary objects are converted into a product as a result of working activities and in performing the activities people are altered. The outcome may be positive, i.e. the task has been completed successfully and people have developed their skills or have found satisfaction through working activities. However, the outcome of work may also fail to meet the standards specified in the work assignment or a person’s state may take a turn for the worse in performing the task. Positive outcomes are not likely to be associated with the term “load”, although meeting task demands is always taxing and requires effort, for demands are made on the abilities and on the willingness to dedicate these abilities to the task. Thus, exposure to task demands does not necessarily have to be conceived of as a predominantly negative process, although it usually is. The term workload tends to be associated with decrements in performance or willingness to perform, or with the risk of impairment of the well-being and health of the task operator. We will adhere to this convention.
