Sociology and Work Redesign

I last taught this graduate course, Sociology and Work Redesign, in May-August 2008. Time flies, as the saying goes, and my focus has shifted elsewhere for various reasons in the intervening period. But as I was going through some of my old papers this evening, I came upon a copy of the Class Presentation Topics which we covered that semester. I thought to myself that it contained some themes and technical considerations that still resonate, a short eight years later, in today's palpably more tech-mediated, and increasingly IoT-infused ways of the globalizing world. And so it occurred to me worthwhile to share the list on this blog. So here it is: Class Presentation Topics.

The course was built around the following objectives:

"To address the following questions from different perspectives: Why redesign? What are the main aspects of a redesign project? To critically outline, in historical perspective, the concepts and practices fundamental to work redesign around the world. To undertake a comparative analysis of selected models, techniques and case-studies of work redesign: from conception to execution. On the basis of that analysis, to encourage class to construct innovative models (or designs) of work organization under given assumptions. In summary, to build national and regional capacity for work redesign, and to reinforce that capacity with relevant theoretical and empirical understandings of the socio-technical underpinnings of the work-place within formal establishments or group contexts."

You may wish to click here to find the full course outline. I think sociology has much to contribute to on-going conversations about work design and redesign.


MORE READINGS (update)
Laston, George, "What EA learned about building successful mobile app infrastructure"

McDonald, Clare (2016) "Internet of things increases demand for tech skills" ComputerWorld.com