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The article analyses the sociotechnical system of the silk weaving industry in the Bishnupur region of West Bengal through a detailed description of processes and interactions between important technical elements and the human agents within a richly structured environment of silk cloth production. It shows that the various processes of silk cloth production and marketing constitute an ensemble of economic inequalities, skill differentiation and differences in power and prestige. Different groups restructure the hierarchy by participating in the network of silk cloth production in which raw materials are converted into stable or viable products. The article thus provides an overview of how capitalist development is shaping the lives and livelihoods of silk weaving artisans in West Bengal.

Abstract
In this paper, we propose a method for tracking the evolution of sociotechnical niches supported by sustainability-focused project portfolios. Based on social network analysis (SNA), this method can be used to evaluate and monitor funding initiatives that seek to advance sociotechnical transitions. It is an important area of study because there is currently a lack of tools for measuring the success of efforts to promote transformative innovation. Conceptually, our approach is based on existing sociotechnical transition research and offers insights into how project networks evolve. We applied this method to a specific portfolio of food system projects that the European Institute for Innovation and Technology Climate-KIC supported. Our results show that SNA can provide a proper visual representation of the infrastructure that supports programme-based investment and can help us understand how specific network structures can support niche development and protect it from external pressures.

Gegenstand des Beitrags ist eine kritische Auseinandersetzung mit dem Konzept des Soziotechnischen Systems (STS), das im gegenwärtigen Digitalisierungsdiskurs als Analyse- und Gestaltungskonzept eine relativ prominente Rolle spielt. Gezeigt wird, dass dieses den digitalen Wandel von Technik und Arbeit nicht hinreichend erfasst, insbesondere aber den Einfluss ökonomischer Strukturbedingungen nicht systematisch erfasst. Auf der Basis eines industriesoziologischen Theorieansatzes aus den 1980er Jahren wird daher eine Erweiterung des STS-Konzepts vorgeschlagen: Erstens wird die Multifunktionalität digitaler Technologien besonders ihre Funktion als Organisationstechnologie herausgearbeitet. Zweitens bezeichnet Organisationstechnologie einen Abstimmungsmechanismus, der die Mikroebene von Arbeitsprozessen mit ökonomischen Strukturbedingungen verknüpft. Drittens erweist sich dabei das wenig eindeutige und betrieblich und sektoral unterschiedliche Spannungsverhältnis von Markt- und Produktionsökonomie als zentraler Bestimmungsfaktor für die organisationstechnologische Regulation von Produktionsprozessen. Insgesamt ist daher die Beziehung zwischen Organisationstechnologie und Arbeit als unbestimmt anzusehen, wobei zugleich aber auch generelle Folgewirkungen digitaler Technologien für Arbeit in Rechnung zu stellen sind.

Examines the problems, and the limitations, of the use of process mapping techniques in the light of sociotechnical experience in systems analysis. To do this, first, the fundamental characteristics of the various process mapping techniques are illustrated, highlighting how these can be characterised by a conception of business processes based on the notion of "technology" which has been developed within modernist organisation theory. Then, the contribution of sociotechnical theory to office work analysis and design is presented, with particular reference to the work of Calvin Pava on the relationship between the method of analysis and the nature of work. Concludes with some reflections on the residual role attributed to social aspects within process mapping and on the problem of artificial rationality and linearity linked to an acritical use of modelling languages.

Objective: I discuss cultural factors and how they may influence sociotechnical system operations. Background: Investigations of several major transportation accidents suggest that cultural factors may have played a role in the causes of the accidents. However, research has not fully addressed how cultural factors can influence sociotechnical systems. Method: I review literature on cultural differences in general and cultural factors in sociotechnical systems and discuss how these differences can affect team performance in sociotechnical systems. Results: Cultural differences have been observed in social and interpersonal dimensions and in cognitive and perceptual styles; these differences can affect multioperator team performance. Conclusion: Cultural factors may account for team errors in sociotechnical systems, most likely during high-workload, high-stress operational phases. However, much of the research on cultural factors has methodological and interpretive shortcomings that limit their applicability to sociotechnical systems. Application: Although some research has been conducted on the role of cultural differences on team performance in sociotechnical system operations, considerable work remains to be done before the effects of these differences can be fully understood. I propose a model that illustrates how culture can interact with sociotechnical system operations and suggest avenues of future research. Given methodological challenges in measuring cultural differences and team performance in sociotechnical system operations, research in these systems should use a variety of methodologies to better understand how culture can affect multioperator team performance in these systems.

Wikipedia is often considered as an example of 'collaborative knowledge'. Researchers have contested the value of Wikipedia content on various accounts. Some have disputed the ability of anonymous amateurs to produce quality information, while others have contested Wikipedia's claim to accuracy and neutrality. Even if these concerns about Wikipedia as an encyclopaedic genre are relevant, they misguidedly focus on human agents only. Wikipedia's advance is not only enabled by its human resources, but is equally defined by the technological tools and managerial dynamics that structure and maintain its content. This article analyses the sociotechnical system — the intricate collaboration between human users and automated content agents — that defines Wikipedia as a knowledge instrument.

Objective: The study contributes to human reliability analysis (HRA) by proposing a method that focuses more on human error causality within a sociotechnical system, illustrating its rationality and feasibility by using a case of the Minuteman (MM) III missile accident. Background: Due to the complexity and dynamics within a sociotechnical system, previous analyses of accidents involving human and organizational factors clearly demonstrated that the methods using a sequential accident model are inadequate to analyze human error within a sociotechnical system. Methods: System-theoretic accident model and processes (STAMP) was used to develop a universal framework of human error causal analysis. To elaborate the causal relationships and demonstrate the dynamics of human error, system dynamics (SD) modeling was conducted based on the framework. Results: A total of 41 contributing factors, categorized into four types of human error, were identified through the STAMP-based analysis. All factors are related to a broad view of sociotechnical systems, and more comprehensive than the causation presented in the accident investigation report issued officially. Recommendations regarding both technical and managerial improvement for a lower risk of the accident are proposed. Conclusion: The interests of an interdisciplinary approach provide complementary support between system safety and human factors. The integrated method based on STAMP and SD model contributes to HRA effectively. Application: The proposed method will be beneficial to HRA, risk assessment, and control of the MM III operating process, as well as other sociotechnical systems.

AbstractIn this paper, we introduce activity‐based analysis (ABA) for explaining and learning about sociotechnical system change at the societal function level. The analysis is based on a novel conceptualization of sociotechnical systems as activity systems, and change as result of the resolution of contradictions that develop within and between activities carried out for the fulfilment of societal functions. We develop ABA for the specific domain and employ it in the construction of a narrative explanation of the evolution of the food/nutrition sociotechnical system from the institutionalization of processed food to the emergence of medical nutrition.

The way sociotechnical systems are conceptually understood influences the result of the safety assessments of such systems. In the literature on the safety of sociotechnical systems, the starting point for the descriptions is often the system components, while the relations are seen as resulting from these components. In this article, it is argued that the relations of a sociotechnical system should be understood as primary entities, defining and shaping the components. A consequence of such a relational focus, it is argued, is that system evaluations become more labour‐demanding than approaches that take generic, pre‐defined components as the point of departure. In return, they become more relevant and precise to the specific system in question.

Wikipedia is an unavoidable resource when we do a web search with the aim of obtaining information. Its content is built from a bottom-up perspective and for this reason it is not always accepted in academia. However, this is not the view of the Wikimedia Foundation. Thus, under the motto "Wikipedia belongs to education", the Wikimedia Foundation has partnered with educational institutions through the Wikipedia Education Program, which includes the Wikipedia in University Program. Within this scenario, it was considered important to do the meta-analysis of the page related to the courses offered in the context of this program with regard to the Wikipedian Portuguese speaking community. For this purpose, methodologically, we followed the MAECC®, the Meta-model to Analyse and Explore Scientific Knowledge®. Our corpus includes 22 Higher Education institutions, 21 of which are Brazilian and 1 Portuguese – Universidade Aberta (Open University Portugal). In this text, we will present the meta-analysis grid created to meet the research aims, identifying the data obtained in all the 5 macro categories of the MAECC® model. In general, the meta-analysed courses are diverse and refer to dynamic practices and valid work strategies.

Cover -- Half Title -- Series Page -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Dedication -- Contents -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- List of Abbreviations -- Authors -- Chapter 1 Introduction -- 1.1 Background -- 1.2 Aim and Objectives -- 1.3 Structure of the Book -- Chapter 2 Driver Distraction, Technology and the Sociotechnical Systems Approach -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Driver Distraction -- 2.2.1 In-Vehicle Technology Developments and Driver Distraction -- 2.2.1.1 Crash Statistics -- 2.2.1.2 Legislation -- 2.2.1.3 Design Guidelines -- 2.3 The Sociotechnical Systems Approach to Accident Analysis -- 2.3.1 The Sociotechnical System Approach to Driver Distraction -- 2.4 Conclusion -- Chapter 3 Driver Distraction Methodology -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.1.1 Driver Distraction Methodological Challenges -- 3.2 Classification of Methodologies -- 3.2.1 Objective Quantitative Methods: Measuring Behaviours -- 3.2.2 Objective Qualitative Methods: Observing Behaviours -- 3.2.3 Subjective Quantitative Methods: Measuring Opinions -- 3.2.4 Subjective Qualitative Methods: Observing Opinions -- 3.3 Systems Methodology and Driver Distraction -- 3.4 The Way Forward -- 3.5 Conclusion -- Chapter 4 Exploring the Mechanisms of Driver Distraction: The Development of the PARRC Model -- 4.1 Introduction -- 4.1.1 A Case of Driver Distraction -- 4.1.2 What Causes Driver Distraction? -- 4.1.3 Modelling the Sociotechnical System -- 4.2 Methodological Approach -- 4.2.1 Grounded Theory -- 4.2.1.1 Document Analysis -- 4.3 Results and Discussion -- 4.3.1 Causal Factors -- 4.3.1.1 Factor 1: Adapt to Demands -- 4.3.1.2 Factor 2: Behavioural Regulation -- 4.3.1.3 Factor 3: Goal Conflict -- 4.3.1.4 Factor 4: Goal Prioritisation -- 4.3.1.5 Factor 5: Resource Constraints -- 4.3.2 Interconnections -- 4.4 Application of the PARRC Model: A Case Study of Distracted Driving.

Current developments in the sociotechnical framework address a number of vital issues that failed to occupy the high ground in its formative years. These include: (i) the purpose of the systems, to create customer value under social and resource constraints, (ii) the context or external business environment, and (iii) the dynamics of the sociotechnical system. Due attention to the dominant issues of purpose, context, and their dynamics make it more meaningful to speak of sociotechnical business systems (STBS) and organizational learning instead of sociotechnical systems (STS) and individual learning. In STBS each unit in an organization has business responsibilities and goal-based couplings with its environment and focuses on the creation of customer value. The implications of this shift from STS to STBS are discussed and illustrated with current research and two summary case studies.