Can we use socio-technical systems design principles to improve the management of information systems?

Socio-technical systems design and improvement of management of information systems

2006 Socio-technical Systems Design and Improvement of

Management of Information Systems

I . Introduction

Before computerization era becomes mandatory at business , employees used to enter , and maintain information in books that they had to open them repeatedly in to obtain the required information and perform any calculations . Such repeated tasks are therefore prone to human errors since employees sometimes perform any miscalculation

Given the importance of computerized system in business , it is not surprising that business of any types was

among the earliest adopter of automated information processing technology . Under such circumstances the use of computers in business has growing over years since they are capable of handling multiple tasks like storing , maintaining , and retrieving huge amounts of information and making calculations and designs at highest accuracy

The situation suggests that information system helps businesses to manage their resources . The so-called management information system (MIS , therefore , helps the business to save time and increase efficiency

Management Information System (MIS ) is basically the data relationship that allow valuable information to exchange between parts or departments within a company so that management is be able to make reasonable decision based on the shared information

Considering the importance of MIS , therefore , information systems can be regarded as the veins that connect the brain to every other parts of the body . Information is therefore as valuable as the blood ensuring the brain to have sufficient resources to make important decision and send out s to the body

II . Relative Applicability of the Various S-T principles and its Relationship

Theoretically , it has been widely known that information system has an important role in a business since it enables a company to redesign business process and take benefits of increased efficiency and effectiveness as results of the IS system deployment

However , in practice , since human who operates IS system has diverse characteristics and attitudes , the implementation of any technology and information system often lead to problems due to resistance by the workforce and a failure to achieve the desired benefits

Concerning the situation , some researchers , with a background in the behavioral sciences (Sociology , Psychology , and Anthropology ) at Tavistock Institute in London , recommended that in to achieve expected results , the implementation of any technology should consider and match the technical sub-system and the social subsystem that made up an organization

Technical subsystem composes of equipments , tools and techniques that an organization employs to yield outputs from inputs . Meanwhile , social systems consist of human resources at all levels together with values skills , attitudes , knowledge , and needs they bring to the work environment in addition to supporting systems like remuneration and lines of authority structures in the organization (Figure 1

Figure 1 Socio Technical Perspective

Knowing the two elements that influence the success in implementing a technology or management information system , socio-technical system design aims at designing a joint optimization of the two elements so that the interdependency of the two elements is recognized . Therefore socio-technical system design...