Inter-organisational systems:a neo-socio-technical perspective. a neo-socio-technical perspective.

This paper explores the conceptual challenges of inter-organisational systems from a socio-technical perspective. It introduces the concept of information communications (IC) system paradigm as distinct from the conventional data processing and distribution (DPD) systems paradigm as a requirement to support multiorganisational partnerships based on shared intentions in the face of complexities of sharing data and information between organisations

A Socio-Technical Perspective on Threat Intelligence Informed Digital Forensic Readiness.

In this article, a DFR framework is proposed focusing on the prioritization, triaging and selection of Indicators of Compromise (IoC) to be used when investigating of security incidents. A core component of the framework is the contextualization of the IoCs to the underlying organization, which can be achieved with the use of clustering and classification algorithms and a local IoC database

Building a Socio-technical Perspective of Community Resilience with a Semiotic Approach

Situated in the diversity and adversity of real-life contexts facing crisis situations, this research aims at boosting the resilience process within communities supported by digital and social technology. In this paper, eight community leaders in different parts of the world are invited to express their issues and wishes regarding the support of technology to face social challenges. Methods and artefacts based on the Organisational Semiotics (OS) and the Socially-Aware computing have been applied to analyse and consolidate this data. By providing both a systemic view of the problem and also leading to the identification of requirements, the analysis evidences some benefits of the OS-based approach to consolidate perspectives from different real-life scenarios towards building a socio-technical solution

Innovation in healthcare systems : a socio-technical perspective

We have investigated the large-scale automation of medicines distribution in NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, which is the largest regional health organisation in the UK. The pharmacy service is delivered on 14 hospital sites, involving approximately 530 pharmacy staff and an annual expenditure on medicines of around €138 million.The empirical evidence on the success of technological innovations in healthcare systems is decidedly mixed. There is considerable evidence on both theoretical and empirical grounds that the severity of implementation problems is likely to increase disproportionately with the scale and complexity of a healthcare technology installation. A key finding from the initial stage of our research was that the introduction of new technology in healthcare may not only lead to unintended first-order consequences such as initial staff resistance, but can also generate potentially serious adverse feedback loops between the social and technical dimensions of the new system. A key finding from the second stage of the research is that the longer-term impact of new technology may be quite different for different groups of healthcare staff. New automated systems may free front-stage staff from more routine administrative activities, enabling them to spend more time directly with patients. On the other hand, back-stage staff may well find that their learning opportunities and promotion possibilities are curtailed as a result

Socio-Technical Perspective on Managing Type II Diabetes

Social attributes such as education level, family history or place of residence all place a strong role in the probability of a person developing type II diabetes later in life. The aim of this paper is to develop a knowledge system based to use social attributes to estimate the prevalence of type II diabetes in a given area in Australia to support public health policymaking. The focus of this paper is towards answering the research question How can social determinants associated with type II diabetes, be used to incrementally develop a supporting knowledge-based system (KBS)? The contribution of this paper is two folds: 1. The problem domain is analysed and a suitable KBS development framework is chosen 2. A prototype is developed and presented. Initial results with preliminary data confirm the validity of the approach

ACCELERATING DECENTRALIZED ENERGY TRANSITIONS: A SOCIO-TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE

Whereas past transitions were often long multi-decadal affairs, the current energy transition requires a much shorter time horizon. Reducing carbon emissions to avoid the worst impacts of climate change is essential. Socially and technologically driven pressures are creating opportunities to observe accelerated social-technical change in action. By observing ongoing accelerated transitions, the goal of this dissertation is to further the understanding of the mechanisms of these transitions. This dissertation asks two questions: (1) In the context of accelerated social and technical change, is society or technology the driver? And (2) how can an understanding of this dynamic be used to further accelerate social and technical change? To explore these research questions, this dissertation focuses on a case study of a particular accelerated transition that is currently unfolding—decentralized energy. To operationalize answering the addressing questions, comparative research alongside an in-depth case study analysis was conducted. The dissertation is divided into five manuscript chapters. The first manuscript, Chapter Two, begins with an overall discussion on decentralized energy: its opportunities, challenges, and justice considerations. The next manuscript, Chapter Three, compares the governance dimensions of decentralized energy transitions in three medium-sized northern cities. Using the same three case studies, Chapter Four compares the case studies using energy futures analysis. The remaining two manuscripts, Chapter Five and Chapter Six focus on a single case study of solar energy in Saskatchewan. In Chapter Five, the paper explores the idea of effective public engagement that considers how energy justice issues can be used to drive DE transitions. Chapter Six builds from the previous chapter and argues for practical suggestions to accelerate DE transitions based on observations from the public engagement activities and a discussion on decision-making. This dissertation concludes with three insights that synthesize the aggregated findings. (1) There are unintended consequences to accelerated energy transitions. Energy justice can be used as a framework to unearth tensions and potentially attempt to predict where unintended consequences may appear. (2) A transformed role of the state is needed to facilitate acceleration, one that employs a more interactive form of governance and public policy. (3) Further research that uses a comparative approach with a focus on governance dimensions can lead to more useful insights to understand accelerated transitions

IT Governance in Collaborative Networks: A Socio-Technical Perspective

Research on IT governance has tended to focus on the issue within a single organizational environment. Our understanding of IT governance in an inter-organizational context remains limited. In addition, few have taken a socio-technical perspective. The aim of the study is therefore to empirically explore the impacts of socio-technical factors on the effectiveness of IT governance for a collaborative network by examining three IT governance elements: structure, process and relational mechanism. This paper reports on the findings of the pilot phase of the broader study.The findings indicate that more effective collaborative IT governance is associated with an active involvement of a governing body; a co-ordinated communication process; and the presence of relational culture and attitudinal commitment. Theoretical and managerial implications of the study are discussed. Available at: https://aisel.aisnet.org/pajais/vol4/iss2/3

Automobilities after SARS-CoV-2: a socio-technical perspective

This paper presents an analysis, informed by socio-technical transitions theory and the socially derived concept of automobility, of the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and resulting COVID-19 pandemic on automobility in Europe. The paper argues that the concept of a pervasive, sudden, and powerful crisis has not previously be explored in the socio-technical transitions literature. The strong behavioural changes in physical and virtual mobility associated with the pandemic are argued to be particularly significant, representing a ‘living lab’ in which to explore the possibilities for disintegrating the boundaries of the automobility system, thereby breaking the enduring structures and practices that have enabled automobility to remain largely unchallenged in the policy arena. Change processes previously underway in the automotive industry and in automobility are not impacted equally by the pandemic. We present initial evidence that mobility sharing will reduce, while the acceptance of electric cars will increase. However, it is also concluded that the hegemony of private automobility is not in itself threatened by pandemic outcomes

Business processes in the agile organisation: a socio-technical perspective

© 2015, Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg. This paper takes a cross-disciplinary view of the ontology of “business process”: how the concept is treated in the IS research literature and how related concepts (with stronger human behavioural orientation) from organisation and management sciences can potentially inform this IS perspective. In particular, is there room for socio-technical concepts such as technology affordance, derived from the constructivist tradition, in improving our understanding of operational business processes, particularly human-centric business processes? The paper presents a theoretical framework for understanding the role of business processes in organisational agility that distinguishes between the process-as-designed and the process-as-practiced. How this practice aspect of business processes also leads to the improvisation of various information technology enablers, is explored using a socio-technical lens. The posited theoretical framework is illustrated and validated with data drawn from an interpretive empirical case study of a large IT services company. The research suggests that processes within the organisation evolve both by top-down design and by the bottom-up routinisation of practice and that the tension between these is driven by the need for flexibility

A SOCIO-TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE ON REPRODUCIBILITY IN RESEARCH DATA MANAGEMENT

The Open Science paradigm has brought the dissemination of experimental artifacts on the agenda of funding agencies, research institutions, and academic publishers. Managing research data is a crucial part of guaranteeing the reusability and reproducibility of published results. In this research, we suggest a conceptualization of reproducibility based on threats, risks, and vulnerabilities identified in current research data management (RDM) practices. By doing so, we can describe a range of threats to reproducibility and pinpoint areas where current RDM practices and the scholarly communication infrastructure insufficiently address these threats. Further, we elaborate on a socio-technical approach to reproducibility in RDM by collecting evidence from researchers and scientific publications. We show that the STS approach complements current IS research on RDM by offering a holistic view of reproducibility challenges in RDM