Sociotechnisch systeemonderzoek

Samenvatting

A brief review is given of the main literature about the sociotechnical system-approach of organizations; an approach mainly developed and propagated by the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations as a counterpoint to 'scientific management' and 'hr'. Some core concepts are described: system's openness, interaction between subsystems, and joint optimization. The dualism of this approach is criticized: it is not clear if it is used as an ideology for organizational change or as a model for organizational analysis. As an ideology it emphasizes items like job enlargement, democratization on the shop floor, task variety, delegation of responsibility, etc. As a model it has implications for: interactions within and between the social and technical subsystems of the organization studied, and interaction between the open organizational system and the environment. The results of one recent Dutch research project, representative in the field, demonstrate again this dualism: use is nearly always made of the ideology and seldom of the still vague model of analysis. The latter has only the function of a background philosophy. Attention is given to the fact that the postulates of the ideology also induce a tendency to treat the organization more as a closed than an open system. The approach can possibly become fruitful on the condition that it will be elaborated further as a model or instrument for research of organizations and that it will eliminate all ideological implications. AA