How “Sociotechnical” is our IS Research? An Assessment and Possible Ways Forward

This paper seeks to offer an assessment on the extent to which we, as IS academics, have been faithful to sociotechnical paradigm, often considered as a fundamental guiding frame for the discipline. As a first step, the paper identifies eight ways in which the technical and the social are featured in the IS literature. Having done so, the paper provides a critical commentary on whether, and in what sense, we have been true to the sociotechnical framework. Finally, the paper offers some ideas for the IS community to reflect on regarding how to move forward with respect to sociotechnical framing of IS research

An Assessment and Possible Ways Forward

This paper seeks to offer an assessment regarding the extent to which we, as IS academics, have been faithful to sociotechnical paradigm, often considered as a fundamental guiding frame for the discipline. As a first step, the paper identifies eight ways in which the technical and the social are featured in the IS literature. Having done so, the paper provides a critical commentary on whether, and in what sense, we have been true to the sociotechnical framework. Finally, the paper offers some ideas for the IS community to reflect on regarding how to move forward with respect to sociotechnical framing of IS research

Artificial intelligence and robots inindividuals’ lives: how to aligntechnological possibilities andethical issues

Purpose: This paper reports the panel discussion on the topic of artificial intelligence (AI) and robots in our lives. This discussion was held at the Digitization of the Individual (DOTI) workshop at the International Conference on Information Systems in 2019. Three scholars (in alphabetical order: Ting-Peng Liang, Lionel Robert, and Suprateek Sarker) who have done AI- and robot-related research (to varying degrees) were invited to participate in the panel discussion. The panel was moderated by Manuel Trenz. Design/methodology/approach: This paper introduces the topic, chronicles the responses of the three panelists to the questions the workshop chairs posed, and summarizes their responses, such that readers can have an overview of research on AI and robots in individuals’ lives, and insights about future research directions. Findings: The panelists discussed four questions with regards to their research experiences on AI- and robot-related topics. They expressed their viewpoints on the underlying nature, potential, and effects of AI in work and personal life domains. They also commented on the ethical dilemmas for research and practice, and provided their outlook for future research in these emerging fields. Originality/values: This paper aggregates the panelists’ viewpoints, as expressed at the DOTI workshop. Crucial ethical and theoretical issues related to AI and robots in both work and personal life domains are addressed. Promising research directions to these cutting-edge research fields are also proposed

Affective Labor in Integrative STS Research

Science and technology studies (STS) practitioners regularly use qualitative research methods to describe the structures and practices of science. Despite a long history of collaborative inter- and transdisciplinary research in the field, key aspects of this type of research remain underexplored. For example, much of the literature on positionality has focused on the vulnerable position of participants and there is considerably less work on how investigators can be vulnerable. We examine how investigators in collaborative sociotechnical integration (CSTI) are vulnerable by presenting two examples of CSTI research that require researcher vulnerability. This vulnerability has an emotional dimension, which also necessitates affective labor. We integrate recommendations from feminist-scholarship to minimize the affective cost to investigators and explore how they might apply to qualitative research more broadly

A network perspective on sociotechnical transitions : The emergence of the electronic book

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The sociotechnical system of print-on-paper for the dissemination of textual information prevails despite widespread concerns about its sustainability. On the basis of sociotechnical transitions theory the print-on-paper system is perceived as a regime. Information technology is identified as one of the generic technologies that has the potential to address the unsustainability of the incumbent regime. Its potential effects are examined through the development of the electronic book, which is defined as those IT applications providing an alternative form of textual display to printed paper. Yet, such applications have remained marginal. According to sociotechnical transitions theory the electronic book can be seen as a niche in relation to the print-on-paper regime. An alternative conceptualisation of transitions as a process of network reconfiguration is suggested. On that basis, the electronic book is depicted as a number of emergent innovation networks. Social Network Analysis methods informed by network approaches to innovation theory are applied to visualise and discuss these emergent networks. In one of the representations, the electronic book is mapped as a sociotechnical network including organisations, users and technologies. It emerges that network formation often transgresses a distinct niche-regime divide. Patterns of network interaction are explored and assessed as to whether they represent a sociotechnical transition in progress. The analysis reveals different patterns of network formation which are indicative of prospective sociotechnical trajectories where different concepts of the electronic book are emphasised. It emerges that the discussion of sustainability and the emergence of the electronic book remain largely unlinked

Trust in Robots

Robots are increasingly becoming prevalent in our daily lives within our living or working spaces. We hope that robots will take up tedious, mundane or dirty chores and make our lives more comfortable, easy and enjoyable by providing companionship and care. However, robots may pose a threat to human privacy, safety and autonomy; therefore, it is necessary to have constant control over the developing technology to ensure the benevolent intentions and safety of autonomous systems. Building trust in (autonomous) robotic systems is thus necessary. The title of this book highlights this challenge: “Trust in robots—Trusting robots”. Herein, various notions and research areas associated with robots are unified. The theme “Trust in robots” addresses the development of technology that is trustworthy for users; “Trusting robots” focuses on building a trusting relationship with robots, furthering previous research. These themes and topics are at the core of the PhD program “Trust Robots” at TU Wien, Austria

Clinical handover within the emergency care pathway and the potential risks of clinical handover failure (ECHO) : primary research

Background and objectives: Handover and communication failures are a recognised threat to patient safety. Handover in emergency care is a particularly vulnerable activity owing to the high-risk context and overcrowded conditions. In addition, handover frequently takes place across the boundaries of organisations that have different goals and motivations, and that exhibit different local cultures and behaviours. This study aimed to explore the risks associated with handover failure in the emergency care pathway, and to identify organisational factors that impact on the quality of handover. Methods: Three NHS emergency care pathways were studied. The study used a qualitative design. Risks were explored in nine focus group-based risk analysis sessions using failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). A total of 270 handovers between ambulance and the emergency department (ED), and the ED and acute medicine were audio-recorded, transcribed and analysed using conversation analysis. Organisational factors were explored through thematic analysis of semistructured interviews with a purposive convenience sample of 39 staff across the three pathways. Results: Handover can serve different functions, such as management of capacity and demand, transfer of responsibility and delegation of aspects of care, communication of different types of information, and the prioritisation of patients or highlighting of specific aspects of their care. Many of the identified handover failure modes are linked causally to capacity and patient flow issues. Across the sites, resuscitation handovers lasted between 38 seconds and 4 minutes, handovers for patients with major injuries lasted between 30 seconds and 6 minutes, and referrals to acute medicine lasted between 1 minute and approximately 7 minutes. Only between 1.5% and 5% of handover communication content related to the communication of social issues. Interview participants described a range of tensions inherent in handover that require dynamic trade-offs. These are related to documentation, the verbal communication, the transfer of responsibility and the different goals and motivations that a handover may serve. Participants also described the management of flow of patients and of information across organisational boundaries as one of the most important factors influencing the quality of handover. This includes management of patient flows in and out of departments, the influence of time-related performance targets, and the collaboration between organisations and departments. The two themes are related. The management of patient flow influences the way trade-offs around inner tensions are made, and, on the other hand, one of the goals of handover is ensuring adequate management of patient flows. Conclusions: The research findings suggest that handover should be understood as a sociotechnical activity embedded in clinical and organisational practice. Capacity, patient flow and national targets, and the quality of handover are intricately related, and should be addressed together. Improvement efforts should focus on providing practitioners with flexibility to make trade-offs in order to resolve tensions inherent in handover. Collaborative holistic system analysis and greater cultural awareness and collaboration across organisations should be pursued

A Hybrid Modelling Framework for Real-time Decision-support for Urgent and Emergency Healthcare

In healthcare, opportunities to use real-time data to support quick and effective decision-making are expanding rapidly, as data increases in volume, velocity and variety. In parallel, the need for short-term decision-support to improve system resilience is increasingly relevant, with the recent COVID-19 crisis underlining the pressure that our healthcare services are under to deliver safe, effective, quality care in the face of rapidly-shifting parameters. A real-time hybrid model (HM) which combines real-time data, predictions, and simulation, has the potential to support short-term decision-making in healthcare. Considering decision-making as a consequence of situation awareness focuses the HM on what information is needed where, when, how, and by whom with a view toward sustained implementation. However the articulation between real-time decision-support tools and a sociotechnical approach to their development and implementation is currently lacking in the literature. Having identified the need for a conceptual framework to support the development of real-time HMs for short-term decision-support, this research proposed and tested the Integrated Hybrid Analytics Framework (IHAF) through an examination of the stages of a Design Science methodology and insights from the literature examining decision-making in dynamic, sociotechnical systems, data analytics, and simulation. Informed by IHAF, a HM was developed using real-time Emergency Department data, time-series forecasting, and discrete-event simulation. The application started with patient questionnaires to support problem definition and to act as a formative evaluation, and was subsequently evaluated using staff interviews. Evaluation of the application found multiple examples where the objectives of people or sub-systems are not aligned, resulting in inefficiencies and other quality problems, which are characteristic of complex adaptive sociotechnical systems. Synthesis of the literature, the formative evaluation, and the final evaluation found significant themes which can act as antecedents or evaluation criteria for future real-time HM studies in sociotechnical systems, in particular in healthcare. The generic utility of IHAF is emphasised for supporting future applications in similar domains