Values, Technology and Work

This book describes the experiences of four organizations who tried to introduce new computer systems in a humanistic manner so that human as well as business gains would be derived from the introduction of technology. All four paid a great deal of attention to identifying efficiency and job satisfaction needs and to design- ing the technical system and its surrounding organizational context in such a way that these needs could be effectively met. Nevertheless, as with all major change, the change process was difficult and demanding and considerable management skill and insight was required before successful systems were implemented. The author set out to identify the extent to which the values of the different groups involved in the design process influenced the way in which computer systems were designed and implemented. She also wished to establish the extent to which the values of technical systems designers, user management and user clerks converged or diverged in the change process. It is hoped that the ideas set out here will contribute both to a greater theoretical understanding of the in- fluences which affect technical change and to the practical design of humanistic computer systems. The research was carried out in three large government de- partments, two industrial firms and an international bank. Two of the govern- ment departments asked for their data to remain confidential and so these are not described in detail in the book. The book is in twelve chapters.