Characteristics of Socio-technical Systems - article by Fred Emery - blog by Karl Janowski
The article can be found online here: http://moderntimesworkplace.com/archives/ericbio/ericbio.html
Here are some ideas discussed in this article:
Systems Topics
A system is a group of elements, that through their mutual interaction, achieve something unique. von Bertalanffy’s definition of a systemEmergence – the unique characteristic created through mutual interaction in a system
Closed System – a system that does not interact with its environment
Open System – a system that does interact with its environment
Any open system can become a closed system by defining the environment as part of the system.
Many people define a system as a physical group of elements, but many times that definition is wrong because there is more than one unique emergence. So it help to find the emergence first then defined the system as just the elements that through their interaction create that emergence. Otherwise you’ll have defined a group of systems as one whole system.
Socio-technical Systems
“Systems where man interacts with man, man interacts with machines, and machines interact with machines" What demands does the technical system place on the social system?Eric Trist and Fred Emery (Tavistock Institute) developed the concept of socio-technical systems from their work as social scientists right after World War II. Their main body of work dealt with being open system theory to organizational development.
Their famous paper “Participative Design for Participative Democracy”.
In ”Characteristics of Socio-technical Systems”, Fred Emery talked about an enterprise being a STS with three main analysis points: analysis of component parts to revel contribution and interaction (work relationship structure), analysis of these parts with reference to problems of internal coordination and control thus created, and analysis of relevant external environment and the way the enterprise manages it.
Aspects of technical systems that place demand on the social system
- Nature of material being worked on
- Level of mechanization (or automation)
- Units of operation and grouping of these units into production phases
- Degree of centrality of different operations
- Maintenance operations
- Supply operations
- Spatial layout of process over time
- Physical work setting
Task breakdown (simplest terms)
- Dependent tasks
- Independent tasks
Two types of dependent tasks
- Simultaneous interdependence (two tasks must happen at same time for outcome to be valid)
- Successional dependence (two tasks must be performed either serial or parallel to achieve outcome)
Informal symbiotic ties between people – “friendships” and other non-sanctioned ties
This makes it hard for management to map roles and tasks to a formal structure. Many jobs success is based on informal relationships (“social networking”).
Suggestions
“Large groups of people inhibit stable interactive patterns” With groups over 12 people the multiple relationships become too great for every individual to maintain so sub groups are formed.
Increase likelihood of friendship via sociometric self-selection.
Do not assume “job satisfaction and output are positively related”
Manager's job is not to manage the role/task relationship of the worker but the external boundary conditions that relate the worker to the larger organization.
Individual Psychology of the Worker
Explore these ideas:- “satisfaction” with work/role and alienation
- “recalcitrance”, control through coercion and manipulation
- non-sanctioned purposes inside the enterprise
- Performance satisfies some psychological need
- Performance is not satisfying but a prerequisite to achieving other psychological satisfaction
- Performance is induced by demands perceived to arise from the task itself (“task orientation” the task itself induces strong forces that lead to completion, or task gives individual control that is satisfying)
Consider, “The child’s relationship to the learning material is given little opportunity to develop into an interest relationship because it is overshadowed by the teacher-child relationship”
Discretionary content of a task – parts of tasks where worker has choice and authority Time span of responsibility – time free from managers looking over the workers shouldersAlienation – the individual may be alienated from his or her workers, or from the product itself
Comments
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Posted by: camelcigar | November 13, 2007 12:03 AM
Very nice this blog =)
Posted by: winstoun | November 27, 2007 09:33 AM