Software by design : shaping technology and the workplace
This book provides a general examination of the critical role played by software and computer technology in the workplace. The authors assess the key social factors that contribute to workplace technology design, including organization structure, workplace relations, and market conditions. They then offer in-depth case studies to identify the factors that influence particular design decisions and the impact of these decisions on the quality and conduct of work, opportunities for skill development, and worker autonomy and satisfaction. The issue of technology design is addressed at both the theoretical and practical level, making this book an appealing aid for students as well as an insightful account for software designers, managers, and computer science engineers
1 online resource (348 pages) : illustrations
9781423738848, 9780195359381, 9781280443541, 9780195083408, 1423738845, 0195359380, 1280443545, 0195083407
228117315
Cover
Table of Contents
Part I: Structuring Technology and The Workplace
Introduction
Chapter 1: Social Shaping of Technology
Perspectives on Engineering as a Social Process
Notes on a Theory of Workplace Technology Design
Chapter 2: Software in the Workplace
Software as a Process Technology
The User as Worker
Design in the Age of the User
A Schematic for the Study of Technology Design
Chapter 3: The Structure of Software Design
Emergence of the Independent Software Vendor
The Process and Structure of Software Design
The User Organization
Making Strategic Choices
Software Development for a Commercial Market
Part II: Case Studies of Software Design
Chapter 4: Banking and a Tale of Two Systems
Computerizing Tradition
Designing for a New Banking Environment
The Banking Systems Corporation
Contradictions and Conflicting Values in Design
Chapter 5: Keeping the Customer Satisfied: Field Service and the Art of Automation
Background to the Field Service Industry
Automating Field Service
Field Service in Action: The Cases of Zeno and Trident
Observations on Field Service and the FSMS
Chapter 6: The Computer System and the Hospital
Background on Hospitals
The Impact of Information Systems on Hospitals
Design of St. George's Computer System
Department Conflict and Professional Ethos
Computer System Effects
Chapter 7: Software Design, Social Choices, and the Workplace
Banking Software
Field Service Software
Hospital Software
Implications for Design
Mapping Social Influences in Design
Part III: Implications for Management and for Further Research on Technology Design
Chapter 8: Understanding and Managing Software Acquisition
Lessons about the Design of Mission Critical Software
Comments on Assessing and Implementing Software
Chapter 9: Social Dimensions of Software Design: Challenges of Effective Design for the Workplace
The Software Life Cycle
The Politics of Software Desigen
Dilemmas of Software Desgin
Assimilation, Accommodation, and the Prospects for Change
The Coming Challenge of Design
Appendices
Appendix A: Outline of the Research Project
Appendix B: Teaching Cases on Software Design and Use
Case 1: Branch Office Automation in Banking
Case 2: Design Decisions for the New Banking Environment
Case 3: Field Service and the Art of Automation
Case 4: Systems Design and Medical Practice in a Hospital
References
Index
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