The Production of Order and the Order of Production: Possibilities for Distributed Organisations, Work and Technology in the Print Industry

Abstract

Drawing on a fieldwork study, this paper considers different design options for the development of a system for facilitating distributed organisation and distributed working within a sector of the print industry. The relationship between the design of the system and the design of the organisation is also examined. It is concluded that if organisations are to practically benefit from the continued evolution of communication infrastructures, CSCW should attend to the appropriate development of information and work coordination systems. It is also concluded that CSCW should develop measures of the value of proposed systems for organisations and users.