An Ergonomic Perspective on Cortisol, Cardiovascular Risk, and Anxiety in Full- Time Faculty Workers

Abstract

Human Systems Integration (HSI) and Organizational Ergonomics provide a robust framework to analyze the modern university as a complex socio-technical system. This paper expands upon the findings of a baseline study involving 90 university faculty members in Cartagena, Colombia (Alayón et al., 2025), shifting the focus from individual pathology to systemic ergonomic feedback. The data revealed that state anxiety is significantly associated with a failure in the physiological decline of cortisol at 4:00 PM, as well as with elevated triglyceride levels. From an HSI perspective, these biomarkers are identified as proactive ergonomic indicators of "systemic strain" and a lack of adequate "recovery windows" within the organizational interface. The persistence of evening cortisol is discussed as a failure in psychological detachment processes, likely resulting from high administrative workloads and the "porosity" of contemporary academic roles. Based on these indicators, the paper proposes systemic interventions grounded in the SEIPS 2.0 and Compensatory Control models, specifically the implementation of circadian-aligned work scheduling and the reduction of "cognitive friction" in bureaucratic procedures to mitigate long-term allostatic load. The study concludes that the integration of biological and psychological markers into organizational monitoring allows institutions to identify misalignments between system demands and human biological constraints. This proactive approach ensures the long-term sustainability of the academic system by protecting its most critical component: the human operator.

Keywords: Human Systems Integration, Organizational Ergonomics, Cortisol, State Anxiety, Academic Workload, Circadian Rhythms, Socio-technical Systems

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007471