11st International Workshop on Socio-Technical Perspective in IS development (STPIS'15)

A Neurobiological Perspective on Socio-

Technical Systems

Lars Taxén

Linköping University, Sweden

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There is considerable variation in what people mean by the term socio-technical system … sometimes focusing on the social system, sometimes on the technical, but rarely on both together

(Baxter & Sommerville, 2011)

Motivation

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The mental is inextricably interwoven with

body, world and action: the mind consists of

structures that operate on the world via their

role in determining action (Love, 2004)

Point of departure

Neural realm

Mind

Social realm

World?

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Action requires coordination

“I do not see any way to avoid the problem of coordination and still understand the physical basis of life” (Pattee, 1976)

Neural realm

Mind

Social realm

Worldcoordination?

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A ST system in the wild

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The project

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22 subprojects

18 development sites

~1000 persons involved

Coordination

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The ICT platform

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The information model

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The IT application

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Social system? Technical system?

The information model

The IT application

The people

The ICT platform

Social realmNeural realm coordination?

The project

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Acting in the wild- Social and technical in everyday life?

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About something

Context of relevance

An ordinary activity…

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Notation is more than 1000 years old!

Harmonized with human mental organization

Temporal

Spat

ial

Normative

Coordinating individual action

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Reliant on

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About something – an object

Context of relevance

Spatial orientation

Sequencing of actions

Habituation of relevant actions

Transition between activities

Dimensions of activity

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About something – an object

Context of relevance

Spatial orientation

Sequencing of actions

Habituation of relevant actions

Transition between activities

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Objectivation

Contextualization

Spatialization

Temporalization

Stabilization

Transition

The Activity Modalities

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Activity modalitiesNeural realm Social realm

Mental factors involved in coordination

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Functional organs

Neural realm

Mind

Social realm

Action

Activity modalities

Artefacts

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Functional organs (Luria)

“External, historically formed artefactssuch as tools,

symbols, and objects ‘tie new knots [functional

organs] inthe activity of man’s brain’”

“This means that areas of the brain which previously

were independent become the components of a single functional system”

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“There no longer exist relations

between us. Some time ago I lost my

sense of the border between us…. I

experience no difficulty in playing

sounds…. The cello is my tool no more”

Mstislav Rostropovich

(1927 –2007)

Functional organs

Neural realm

Mind

Social realm

Action

Activity modalities

Artefacts

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Joint action- social moulding of the individual

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Common identifier

temporalization

spatialization

stabilization

Neural realm

Idiosyncratic

Social realm

Common

Activity modalities

Joint action

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Common identifier

spatialization

Neural realm

Idiosyncratic

Social realm

Common

Activity modalities

Joint action

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Implications for conceptualizing

ST systems

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IS the entity constituted by the IT artefact and

the functional organ in the brain of the user

IS conceptualization

ISA

ISB

ISC

A

B

C

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Workpractice conceptualization – tangible

Social realm

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Workpractice conceptualization – intangible

Neural realm

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Integrated conceptualization – the Activity Domain

Social realmNeural realm Activity modalities

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Summary – main points

• Neurobiological predispositions for coordinating actions

• Coordination – a mental complex functional system

• Activity modalities – bridging the neural and social realms

• Functional organs – brain / artefact interaction

• Joint action – social moulding of the individual

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Conclusions

• Separation of “social” and “technical” systems untenable

• The Activity Domain the core analytical work construct

• In a nascent state

• Huge potential– IS research

– Organizational science

– Neuroscience ….

– ….

• Derived from the sine qua non for human existence– Brains evolved to control the activities of bodies in the world

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That’s it!