Sociotechnical theory and NEC system design

Abstract

The term 'Sociotechnical' is much more than merely a buzzword, it is a set of theories and concepts that seek to jointly optimize the co-evolution of organizations and technology. In this paper we show how the specification of a set of basic sociotechnical principles (responsible autonomy, adaptability and meaningfulness of tasks) could help to create the initial conditions from which shared awareness (through peer to peer interaction) and agility (through Effects Based Operations, semi-autonomous groups and increased tempo) create self-synchronization (synergy, with simple organizations undertaking more complex tasks). Sociotechnical theory has further advantage of a long legacy in theoretical and applied settings, one that future work aims to exploit in order to help realize the vision that NEC promises. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.