Sociotechnical systems

See also: Notes on the Principles of Sociotechnical Design

Wikipedia says:

Sociotechnical systems (STS) in organizational development is an approach to complex organizational work design that recognizes the interaction between people and technology in workplaces. The term also refers to coherent systems of human relations, technical objects, and cybernetic processes that inhere to large, complex infrastructures. Social society, and its constituent substructures, qualify as complex sociotechnical systems.

The theory is excellent, and it is interesting to me how concepts like “Sociotechnical design” have a rich history of research and discussion, yet the tech industry seems to rediscover them seemingly as a novel thing every few decades. I learned about it during one such cycle around 2020.

I’ve done a presentation about sociotechnical systems at Miro on 2023: Sociotechnical systems in action.