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Ehn, Pelle
(författare)
Work-oriented design of computer artifacts
1988
Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
This thesis is an inquiry into the human activity of designing computer artifacts that are useful to people in their daily activity at work. The emphasis is on opportunities and constraints for industrial democracy and quality of work.First, the philosophical foundation of design of computer artifacts is considered. The need for a more fundamental understanding of design than the one offered by rationalistic systems thinking is argued. The alternative design philosophy suggested is based on pragmatic interpretations of the philosophies of existential phenomenology, emancipatory practice, and ordinary language. Design is seen as a concerned social and creative activity founded in our traditions, but aiming at transcending them by anticipation and construction of alternative futures.Second, it is argued that the existing disciplinary boundaries between natural sciences, social sciences and humanities are dysfunctional for the subject matter of designing computer artifacts. An alternative understanding of the subject matter and a curriculum for its study is discussed. The alternative emphasizes social systems design methods, a new theoretical foundation of design, and the new potential for design in the use of prototyping software and hardware. The alternative also emphasizes the need to learn from other more mature design disciplines such as architectural design.Towards this background, and based on the practical research in two projects (DEMOS and UTOPIA), a view on work-oriented design of computer artifacts is presented.This concerns, thirdly, the collective resource approach to design of computer artifacts - an attempt to widen the design process to also include trade union activities, and the explicit goal of industrial democracy in design and use. It is argued that a participative approach to the design process is not sufficient in the context of democratization. However, it is suggested that it is technically possible to design computer artifacts based on criteria such as skill and democracy at work, and a trade union investigation and negotiation strategy is argued for as a democratic and workable complement to traditional design activities.Finally, a tŒil perspective - the ideal of skilled workers and designers in coopération designing computer artifacts as tools for skilled work is considered. It is concluded that computer artifacts can be designed with the ideal of c rail tools for a specific profession, utilizing interactive hardware devices and the computer's capacity for symbol manipulation to create this resemblance, and that a tool perspective, used with care, can be a useful design ideal. However, the ideological use of a tool metaphor is also taken into account, as is the instrumental blindness a tool perspective may create towards the importance of social interaction competence at work.
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Olerup, Agneta
(författare)
A Contextual Framework for Computerized Information Systems. An exploratory study of computerized information systems in nine manufacturing organizations with regard to technological and environmental factors
1982
Bok (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt) abstract
Research within contingency theory recognizes and postulates the relevance of contextual factors to the design of organizations. Thus organizations are dependent on the environments in which they operate and on the technologies they utilize. Organizations therefore need to process information about their environments and technologies. Information systems, including computerized information sytems, play an important part in organizations and the reltionships between computerzed information systems and organizational context need to be considered. In this study it is hypothesized that differences in the charactristics of computerizedinformation systems in different organizations can to some extent be explained by differences in these organizational contexts. A major distinction is made between content-oriented and generic classification models of computerized information systems. A model for describing generic characteristics of computerized information systems is suggested. This model proposes that the characteristics of a computerized information systems can be classified on the one hand in terms of time-orientation and complexity, and on the other hand in terms of data-base, reports or processing. In the empirical part of the study the model porposed i illustrated. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews on technology, environment and computerized information systems for production control in nine large manufacturing organizations. The results are formulated as detailed hypotheses, which are consistent with the original, general hypothesis.
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Olerup, Agneta, et al.
(författare)
Discussant note on A Multivalent Approach to Information System Assessment
1988
Ingår i: [Host publication title missing]. - 0 444 70335 7 ; , s. 121-124
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat) abstract
The note addresses two issues. First assessing the qualities of information systems and semi-autonomous groups requires a theory or model of how to assess. Second, three levels of assessment - a theoretical, a methodological and a practical level - can be distinguished.
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Olerup, Agneta, et al.
(författare)
Office Automation, Work and Skill
1985
Ingår i: [Host publication title missing]. - 0 444 87864 5 ; , s. 15-21
Konferensbidrag (refereegranskat) abstract
The paper briefly explores the issues of what does office automation mean. Furthermore, it discusses whether office workers are information or knowledge workers. Three stages of office automation - data processing, facilitate existing office procedures, elimination of some intermediary functions and introduction of office technology into managerial, professional and technical jobs - are identified. Finally changes to skills in office work are emphasized.
