Lecture 6: Socio-technical systmes

Question 1

Socio-technical systems

Answer 1

• Working independently but all the work comes together in a system to create a product/service
• Division of labour
• Specialisation
• The way that all systems are designed to work with other systems to allow a larger systematic flow
• Hard’ systems of meeting the need, how not what. ‘Soft’ systems based on humans learning from a problem and finding how to resolve it

Question 2

What is system?

Answer 2

Structures formed by interacting parts with the core concepts of inter-relationships, boundaries and perspectives

Question 3

Machine metaphor

Answer 3

• Work: routine and repetitive
• Organisations: rational and efficient means of achieving goals
• People: the cogs in the machine without them it wouldn’t work
• Hawthorne: lighting levels determines productivity

Question 4

Activity system

Answer 4

Tools > operations manager > rules/regulations > Community practices > Division of labour > Object > Outcomes

Question 5

Optimising technology with work design

Answer 5

• Technogical independence - who independently the technology is
• Technogocal un certaintantly - how certain the technology is to do its job

• Enriched jobs
o Higher level skill
o Higher education
o Higher salary

• Traditional work groups
o Automotive type work in groups

• Self regulating work groups
o You work within a group of people varying degrees you are left as a group to design the process, the outputs, the regulations and left to manage yourselves