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Socio-Technical Perspectives on Smart Working : Creating Meaningful and Sustainable Systems

Bednar, Peter M. LU and Welch, Christine (2020) In Information Systems Frontiers 22(2). p.281-298
Abstract

Technological advances have made possible industrial and commercial applications of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and highly integrated manufacturing systems. It has also freed business activity from a focus on place, as both work activities and markets have been able to harness information and communication technologies in order to operate remotely. As a result, researchers have highlighted a phenomenon of ‘smart’ working. Some have pointed to a fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) in which ‘smart’ factories use robotics to achieve high performance. There is now a suggestion of progress towards Industry 5.0, in which technological and social systems work in harmony to deliver personalised mass customization of... (More)

Technological advances have made possible industrial and commercial applications of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and highly integrated manufacturing systems. It has also freed business activity from a focus on place, as both work activities and markets have been able to harness information and communication technologies in order to operate remotely. As a result, researchers have highlighted a phenomenon of ‘smart’ working. Some have pointed to a fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) in which ‘smart’ factories use robotics to achieve high performance. There is now a suggestion of progress towards Industry 5.0, in which technological and social systems work in harmony to deliver personalised mass customization of products and services. This paper examines these developments from the perspective of unique, individual understandings of work roles and sustainability, posing the questions ‘Smart’ from whose point of view? Do smart systems promote sustainable organizations? How should design of smart systems be approached? It suggests that contemporary socio-technical systems approaches to organizational analysis are the best way to support harnessing of smart technologies in organizations.

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author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Emergence, Industry 4.0, Industry 5.0, Open systems, Smart working, Socio-technical approaches
in
Information Systems Frontiers
volume
22
issue
2
pages
18 pages
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:85065328477
ISSN
1387-3326
DOI
10.1007/s10796-019-09921-1
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
1ce530bd-2aa7-409e-b2b6-522a6b7c57b0
date added to LUP
2019-05-24 12:09:29
date last changed
2022-04-26 00:21:17
@article{1ce530bd-2aa7-409e-b2b6-522a6b7c57b0,
  abstract     = {{<p>Technological advances have made possible industrial and commercial applications of artificial intelligence, virtual reality and highly integrated manufacturing systems. It has also freed business activity from a focus on place, as both work activities and markets have been able to harness information and communication technologies in order to operate remotely. As a result, researchers have highlighted a phenomenon of ‘smart’ working. Some have pointed to a fourth Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0) in which ‘smart’ factories use robotics to achieve high performance. There is now a suggestion of progress towards Industry 5.0, in which technological and social systems work in harmony to deliver personalised mass customization of products and services. This paper examines these developments from the perspective of unique, individual understandings of work roles and sustainability, posing the questions ‘Smart’ from whose point of view? Do smart systems promote sustainable organizations? How should design of smart systems be approached? It suggests that contemporary socio-technical systems approaches to organizational analysis are the best way to support harnessing of smart technologies in organizations.</p>}},
  author       = {{Bednar, Peter M. and Welch, Christine}},
  issn         = {{1387-3326}},
  keywords     = {{Emergence; Industry 4.0; Industry 5.0; Open systems; Smart working; Socio-technical approaches}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{281--298}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Information Systems Frontiers}},
  title        = {{Socio-Technical Perspectives on Smart Working : Creating Meaningful and Sustainable Systems}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10796-019-09921-1}},
  doi          = {{10.1007/s10796-019-09921-1}},
  volume       = {{22}},
  year         = {{2020}},
}