Sociotechnical Systems Theory

Business
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Theories: A summary.

Sociotechnical Systems Theory (STS)

According to the University of Leeds (n.d.), the socio-technical systems theory holds that improving any organisational system's design and performance depends on a proper consideration of 'social' and 'technical' aspects. Yet, the two elements must be viewed interdependently since; eventually, trade-offs may be necessary, and arrangements required for one of the aspects may not be applicable for the other one (Fox, 1995). The theory operates on two primary principles. One, the interaction notwithstanding, the 'socio' will not behave the same way as the 'technical' because human beings are not machines. Two, optimising either of the elements automatically augments unpredictable and inconsistent relationships, alongside relationships that can undermine the performance of relevant systems (Walker et al., 2008). In summary, STS flourishes and is founded on joint optimisation of the two interdependent systems. 

References

Fox, W. M. (1995). Socio-technical system principles and guidelines: Past and present. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 31(1), 91–105. https://doi.org/10.1177/0021886395311009

The University of Leeds. (n.d.). Socio-technical systems theory. Business.leeds.ac.uk. Retrieved February 2, 2022, from https://business.leeds.ac.uk/research-stc/doc/socio-technical-systems-theory#:~:text=Socio%2Dtechnical%20theory%20has%20at

Walker, G. H., Stanton, N. A., Salmon, P. M., & Jenkins, D. P. (2008). A review of socio-technical systems theory: A classic concept for new command and control paradigms. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 9(6), 479–499. https://doi.org/10.1080/14639220701635470

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