Reference:Glossary of terms/The Means
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This glossary of Socio-technical systems terms was published by, and is copyright of, Eli Berniker, May 1983
| Introduction | Systems and Organization | The Means | The Human System | Getting Something Done | The Analysis | Design | Design Concepts | Design Structure and Process | Design Principles |
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Technology
Technology is a body of knowledge about the cause and effect relations of our actions and of the machines and processes we build. It is not tools, machines or equipment. Those are technical systems. Technologies are rich sources of ideas and opportunities from which to design many possible technical systems. Typically, engineers and systems designers preempt those opportunities. In organization design those opportunities are reserved for the design team.
Tools
Tools are artifacts created by people to overcome their natural limitations and increase their capacity to work. A tool is not a tool unless a potential user has a mental image of how to use it.
Technical Systems
Technical systems are sets of tools (equipment, facilities and computers) as well as methods (procedures, programs and software) all designed as a system to accomplish the transformations required by an organization. But the "system ness" is in the minds of the designers. If that understanding is not transferred to the users along with the artifacts, they cannot gain full control and use of the technical system.
The people of the organization operate the technical system to get work done. The technical system determines, to a very great extent, how work will be done and the quality of working life of its members.
Technical system design, therefore, is critical to effective organization design. Technology (knowledge) is distinguished from technical systems (artifacts) because an infinite variety of technical systems may be designed from a given technology. The available choices, opportunities, tradeoffs and design decisions are the stuff from which excellence and innovation in organization design are achieved.
