Åpne denne publikasjonen i ny fane eller vindu >>2021 (engelsk)Doktoravhandling, med artikler (Annet vitenskapelig)
Abstract [en]
This thesis aims to deepen the understanding of the role and relevance of the worker in the functioning of complex socio-technical systems. The perspective adopted is profoundly human-centred and the worker is considered as a resource. This stands in stark contrast to the performance-related measurements and accident investigations which have typically formed much research on work in complex safety-critical systems and conveyed a perspective of the human as merely a system cog. The empirical material in this thesis is based on ethnographic fieldwork in the shape of workplace studies conducted across two distinct work domains: manufacturing and operational train traffic. The studies are informed by distributed cognition (DCog) and activity theory (AT) as prominent theoretical approaches for developing in-depth understandings of how work activities are accomplished in situations where the interplay between humans and their socio-cultural and material environment is of interest. The findings are illustrated by empirical work that provides detailed accounts of work practices derived from a total of four work settings. It is illustrated how acquired experiences and skills allow the workers to simultaneously use and create resources in the socio-material environment. The findings also reveal novel characteristics of adaptations as driven by a human agency rather than being a result of external demands, which is the common view in literature on work in safety-critical domains. Based on the findings, the role of the worker is illustrated as a meaning-making actor – not only participating in, but also actively contributing to the system and its functioning. In that capacity, the worker is acting as a driving force for a process of continuous development, allowing the system to continue to function although frequently exposed to uncertainties and unexpected events. This thesis contributes to a deepened understanding of the role of human workers in socio-technical systems, highlighting how workers are an invaluable asset when it comes to managing large variations and unexpected events in technology-mediated complex work. This contribution is complementary to the current understanding of how to uphold system safety and provides insight into what underlies a mutually beneficial relationship between humans and technology to which both parties can contribute with what they do best.
sted, utgiver, år, opplag, sider
Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2021. s. 101
Serie
Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology, ISSN 1651-6214 ; 2088
Emneord
work, work practice, socio-technical system, workscape, workplace studies, ethnography, distributed cognition, activity theory, operational train traffic, manufacturing, human-computer interaction, HCI, safety-critical domain
HSV kategori
Forskningsprogram
Datavetenskap med inriktning mot människa-datorinteraktion
Identifikatorer
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-456584 (URN)978-91-513-1330-6 (ISBN)
Disputas
2021-12-10, Häggsalen, Ångströmlaboratoriet, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, Uppsala, 10:15 (engelsk)
Opponent
Veileder
2021-11-192021-10-202021-12-29