Introduction and organizations as a soci-technical system - Research Paper Example

Download file to see previous pages sociotechnical systems (STS). In other words, the field recognizes the essence of complicated work designed impacted by technical development which in turn influences the modes of interaction amongst the people at the workplace (Fader, Painter & Barnes 2003). To further demonstrate the point and to offer a critical analysis of the central thesis posed by the STS theorists, the Painter`s Case Study would be taken as a test case which would enable an insight on the various perspectives of the field. Painter observed and reported on the developments of a an ‘E-File System’ which had replaced a long standing paper based mechanisms, which in turn influenced human aspects of job development thereby confirming the STS theory hypothesis. In other words, it may be argued that the social development readily follows the pathway of technical innovation in any industry which confirms the simultaneous propagation of both the variables to leave a holistic impact on the industry. Since the social factors can also comprise of negative developments along with positive developments as well, the paper will aim at exploring various STS generalized principles via commenting on Painter`s Case Study.
The Sociotechnical theory implies that the social as well as the technical developments in a firm don`t take place in an isolated environment. Instead, in any of the scenarios at a work place, there is an inherent system in place which depicts how the social and technical factors interact and shape the overall direction of the workplace. In other words, the theory offers a wider explanation and an interactional model which explains how the technical changes in a firm call for moderation and alteration in job specifications and requirements of the organizational structure (Chiang, Saiu &Hardgrave 2011). This change in tasks in turn interacts with the human factor in the firm i.e. directly impacts the structure of human ...Download file to see next pagesRead More