Refers to the skills required to function as an economic entity in human society. In western society this involves intellectual development which takes place at school as well as some kind of vocational training which takes place at a tertiary institution or in the workplace.
The functionality required to achieve economic performance is different from core functionality because it varies markedly depending on the requirements of the chosen career. Some careers require more functionality than others and the functionality required for economic performance is becoming more and more specialized as society becomes more and more complex and integrated. In contrast the scope of core functionality is basically the same for each and every human being and every career , however the level of core functionality helps determine the level of economic functionality.
Economic functionality is built upon a foundation of core functionality. The skills required to become an economic adult in society generally aren't begun to be learnt until sufficient core functionality has developed such as:
Core functionalities help determine what skills a person might perform well in and end up using as a career. The higher the level of core functionality:
Natural ability is not the result of discrete inherited characteristics, but of the general overall core functionalities that develop during childhood.
Much focus in human development has been put on the brain, and Western school systems reflect this by putting emphasis on intellectual development (reading, writing and arithmetic) as the key school responsibility while development of other areas is taken for granted or seen as a family/community responsibility.
Core functionalities have considerable impact on professional performance in any industry:
Posture
Ability to present oneself well and convincingly
Ability to sit, stand still or hold the body in a particular posture for long periods
Ability to learn motor skills quickly and effectively
Health and disability benefits, reduced risk of accidents
Facial expression
Ability to use facial communication in dealing with other people
Ability to look people in the eye and confront situations rather than let them fester
Ability to respond emotionally to situations and remain emotionally fit
Voice (and language)
Verbal communication ability; getting message across, speaking in front of groups, supervising staff, giving instructions etc.
Ability to use tone of voice and volume successfully to convey meaning.
Being able to speak ably even when under stress
Social ability
Good communication skills are the catch phrase for most jobs and underlying that are social abilities. Networking and being able to develop customer relationships are essential to success in many fields especially sales.
Emotional fitness
Although less tangible, overall emotional fitness is going to help in any career by reducing the distractions that emotional problems have on career performance, such as the impact of relationship break ups, death of relatives, terrorist attacks etc etc.
The brain exists not as an entity in itself but to serve the purposes of the peripheral hardware to which it is attached: the limbs and the senses. Economic training in Western society is very much focused on the brain and not on the peripherals, embodied here in the core functionalities. More focus on core functionalities may mean less time spent developing the secondary skills upon which careers are built.