Bryan Borys

Generating testable socio-technical systems theory

Abstract Suggestions for enhancements to socio-technical systems (STS) theory are offered based on a multiyear development process. First, researchers engaged in an iterative process of working with socio-technical systems (STS) and non-STS practitioners of organizational design to operationalize STS theory. Second, the operationalized theory was validated using an 86-company survey. Third, the operationalized theory was field-tested to discover its usability for practitioners addressing real-world organizational design problems.

Automation and Skill: Three Generations of Research on the NC Case

a machine, a computer control unit, a human operator, and a programmer. It is a particularly interesting case of technological change since the transition from conventional to NC machining leaves the machining process and the general nature of the product itself largely intact but changes the form and locus of control over the process. It thus provides an opportunity to directly examine the impact of technological change on work. NC is a particularly interesting case for a second reason: the continuity of debate on its impact over more than two decades of research allows us to trace the evolution of research approaches and theoretical paradigms. Over these decades of research on NC machining and work, research strategies have evolved from task-level analysis of the technological requirements of automation in the

Materialism and Idealism in Organizational Research

Organization theory needs a framework that can elucidate the technological, economic, political and symbolic forces that are at work in and on organizations. Much organizational research can be seen as materialist, by virtue of its granting primary causal efficacy to technical—economic forces, or idealist by virtue of privileging political—symbolic forces. The conflict between materialism and ideal ism has often been inflated and/or obscured by conceptual strategies of specializa tion, eclecticism and reductionism. A metatheoretical approach to materialism and idealism is presented that clarifies the fundamental nature of the approaches and distinguishes areas of possible reconciliation from areas of irreducible conflict.

Socio-dets and techno-dets: Determinants of diffusion and implementation patterns of automated machine tools

Typical of many cases of technology diffusion and implementation, machine tool automation has stimulated debate about the relative influence of social and technological factors. It is argued that reconciliation of these views requires (a) a realistic model of the firm in its environmental and managerial contexts, (b) a conceptual framework that incorporates technological, economic, political and symbolic forces in the processes of diffusion and implementation, and (c) a heuristic strategy that allows these forces to play relatively more and less important roles depending on the time-span and level of aggregation of analysis. Examination of the case of machine tool automation suggests that while social forces may play a central role in the analysis of specific plants, technology and economics assume relatively greater importance in the analysis of aggregate patterns and trends.