What is the message of Socio-Technical Systems Theory?
STST and its associated research and design methods draw on a wide range of sources, some examples being fieldwork, longitudinal surveys and both academic and popular literature. Socio-technical approaches are most frequently used in the context of system design and in the management of organisational change. STST has two goals that might sometimes be seen as contradictory: to design systems that improve the welfare and quality of users lives, and to improve the performance of the organisation by adding shareholder value, increasing productivity and competitiveness. The principal message of STST is that new technologies or systems should never be designed or introduced without considering the ‘softer’ issues. If the context within which the technology will be used is overlooked or not properly understood, the technology may fail to be useful to its users; it may be ignored, actively rejected or even sabotaged. Socio-technical systems design and research approaches place as much weight
