Computing as Social Action: The Social Dynamics of Computing in Complex Organizations

Abstract

This chapter examines the ways in that the behavior of people and groups in organizations influences the development, use, and consequences of computing. The chapter presents an examination of the usefulness of different social perspectives for explaining how computing developments work in complex organizations. The chapter also presents that the six perspectives are best introduced by indicating how they help explain a complex case of computer use. The six theoretical perspectives help to understand the assumptions behind the questions asked and the answers different analysts have found. The rational perspective dominates the majority of analyses of computing, particularly those that are written by practitioners and found in trade journals or the internal documents of organizations. The development, use, and impact of computing in organizations are examined in light of the six perspectives outlined. The chapter examines the development and provision of computer services through the life cycle from initiation to evaluation. The knowledge about computing is distributed throughout organizations, and this leads to systematic misperceptions of computer use and increases the likelihood of computing errors. The chapter examines the consequences of computer use for the ways decisions are made, the work lives of computer users, and the distributions of power in computer-using organizations. © 1980, Academic Press Inc. All rights reserved.