Het axioma-stelsel in een sociotechnisch systeemonderzoek

Samenvatting

Recent work in the sociology of organizations has involved psychological and socio-psychological approaches, which often make use of axioms of needs or need hierarchies. The sociotechnical system approach has been a reaction to this method. The use of axioms of the sociotechnical approach to a specific problem is demonstrated. In 1969 a project was carried out in a factory which was divided into 5 different sections. The main object of the investigation was the number of products and parts worked on and completed each week. It was found that the greater the number of different projects worked on each week, the greater the productivity. This was manifested much more strongly in some sections than in others. The axiomatic explanation is that the variation in tasks leads to greater motivation on the part of the workers, and thus to greater productivity. Planning complexity also was an important factor. The section whose jobs were predictable tended to produce less. It is not impossible that structural characteristics may have some explanatory value in regard to organizations. 3 tables, 3 figures. P. Tiersma.