Industries from developed countries tend to overlook the fact that people in new emerging economies are different in terms of context, ergonomics, social and cultural dimensions. Evidence from the literature shows technical design problems involved in adapting technology and that it may require the development of new ergonomics principles because of the diverse nature of people. Users around the world are no longer willing to settle for one-size-fits-all products with standardised technology.

Failure to consider users culture and ergonomics may result in unacceptable technology. This challenges designers to understand what cultural and ergonomics values they need to integrate in developing new technology. A case study was conducted at a knitting company in Botswana to determine sewing machines acceptance and usage behaviour using the Technology Acceptance Model Questionnaire. The research revealed that by becoming more mindful of the role played by culture and ergonomics in different contexts, this can enhance the relevance and acceptability of new technology.