The impact of human and organizational factors, on the operation of

socio-technical system.

A socio-technical system is a working environment of people and

technology, how they relate to one another.
This setup is often a very complex one that may consist of all or
some of the following.
Hardware:
Mainframes, workstations, peripheral, connecting networks.
Software:
Operating systems, utilities, application programs, specialized
codes. This is often the integral part of any socio-technical system.
Physical building:
Buildings also influence and embody social rules, and their design
can affect the ways that a technology is used.
People:
Individuals, groups, roles (support, training, management, line
personnel, engineer, etc.),
Procedures:
Both official and actual, management models, reporting
relationships, documentation requirements, data flow, rules &
norms. Procedures describe the way things are done in an
organization
Data and data structures:
What data are collected, how they are archived, to whom they are
made available, and the formats in which they are stored are all
decisions that go into the design of a socio-technical system.[1]

Technology has contributed a great deal to the modern society. The

human factor is of course directly related to this particularly when it
comes to issues such as usability, efficiency, effectiveness, and
safety.
The importance of socio-economic improvement, automating tasks
that may otherwise be too complex to handle manually and other
great challenges are effectively being confronted with the use of
computer technology.
The need for accomplishing tasks on a timely basis has resulted in a
more concerted effort to harness the great potentials of the said
technology.
Concerned organization on the other hand have been equally
supportive, providing the necessary financial and material resources
for training of engineers, improved research practice in the field for
the purpose of making a desirable difference in software
engineering, as this means improved ways of doing things, better
understanding and a resultant improved earning potentials in their
respective commercial activities.
Presently there is still a lot to be done in terms of acceptance,
improvement, integration and setting up of a global acceptable
standard. Unlike other engineering profession, SE has a different
development approach, in most cases it characteristic often depend
on the assigned task and running environment.
Socio-technical system will become more effective with a better
integration of the human and organizational factors. These are
responsible for its conception, development and use for mutual
benefits.
The social system includes people and their habitual attitudes,
values, behavioural styles and relationships. It includes the reward
system. It is the formal power structure as depicted on organization
charts and the informal power structure deriving from knowledge
and personal influence.
To be effective, the social and technical systems must integrate and
assist one another. A manufacturing work cell that requires high
teamwork will not produce in an environment of suspicion, individual
rewards and command-control. Businesses where people have
isolated workstations, large inventory buffers and few sequential
processes have difficulty with teamwork.[2]

Hopefully as the younger generation continue to accept more openly

the need for a change of attitude towards new technology and of
course with the highly competitive market, organisation will be left
with little or no choice to implement a more rigorous rules on the
adoption of technological advancement in organisational operations
as the only means of standing out in the crowed.

Ike Nweke
www.bestlista.com
[1]
http://www.computingcases.org/general_tools/sia/socio_tech_syste
m.html

[2] http://www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c020902a.asp