Appropriate Technology for Humans and Organizations
本文提出‘适宜技术’概念，分析组织在信息技术设计、实施和管理中的选择，指出不当选择会导致士气、动机和系统绩效问题，并从社会科学和管理工程角度提出新命题。
This paper introduces the idea of ‘Appropriate Technology’ and applies it to some of the choices organizations make when designing, implementing and managing information technology (IT). It questions whether companies make appropriate choices about the extent of technology, the allocation of system functions between humans and machines, the design of jobs and roles for humans, the design of supporting organizational structures, and the methods used during design and implementation. If inappropriate choices are made in these areas, problems of morale, motivation and system performance can occur. The objectives of the paper are to examine whether these ideas can help to identify and explain problems in the implementation of new technology, and to argue that social scientists have so far achieved relatively little in helping organizations to make more appropriate choices in these areas. The paper makes a number of propositions about new technology from a social science perspective, introduces what is meant by Appropriate Technology, uses manufacturing as an example of an environment within which new technologies are being implemented, and describes five key decision areas for managers. As a result, a new set of propositions is made, this time from the perspective of general management and engineering. The author draws on research and development experiences with a number of companies, and on work undertaken within the ESPRIT and Alvey programmes.