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Tool use and collaborative work of dock assembly in practice
Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Information Technology, Division of Visual Information and Interaction. Uppsala University, Disciplinary Domain of Science and Technology, Mathematics and Computer Science, Department of Information Technology, Computerized Image Analysis and Human-Computer Interaction. Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för informationsteknologi.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0159-9628
Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för informationsteknologi.ORCID iD: 0000-0003-0946-7531
Högskolan i Skövde, Institutionen för ingenjörsvetenskap.ORCID iD: 0000-0002-8369-5471
2017 (English)In: Production & Manufacturing Research, ISSN 2169-3277, Vol. 5, no 1, p. 164-190Article in journal (Refereed) Published
Abstract [en]

In order to deepen the understanding of the intrinsic interactions and interplay between humans, tools, and environment from a systems perspective, research in the wild (RITW) approaches have gained traction during recent decades as they provide a higher ecological validity of findings. This paper presents a RITW study, investigating how assembly, in this case dock assembly of forwarders, was done in practice. As our theoretical foundation, we used the framework of distributed cognition, which is one of the main pillars of RITW. The findings are presented in narrative form, describing and highlighting that the workers achieve an efficient production outcome by being integral parts of the whole production process and doing so through coordination of activities benefitting the shared goal of the distributed socio-technical system.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
2017. Vol. 5, no 1, p. 164-190
Keywords [en]
DCog, dock assembly, human factors & ergonomics, embodiment, tool use
National Category
Production Engineering, Human Work Science and Ergonomics
Research subject
User Centred Product Design; Interaction Lab (ILAB)
Identifiers
URN: urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-333583DOI: 10.1080/21693277.2017.1374890ISI: 000412286800003Scopus ID: 2-s2.0-85029912768OAI: oai:DiVA.org:uu-333583DiVA, id: diva2:1157215
Available from: 2017-09-26 Created: 2017-11-15 Last updated: 2021-10-29Bibliographically approved
In thesis
1. Getting Work Done: The Significance of the Human in Complex Socio-Technical Systems
Open this publication in new window or tab >>Getting Work Done: The Significance of the Human in Complex Socio-Technical Systems
2021 (English)Doctoral thesis, comprehensive summary (Other academic)
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.

Place, publisher, year, edition, pages
Uppsala: Acta Universitatis Upsaliensis, 2021. p. 101
Series
Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology, ISSN 1651-6214 ; 2088
Keywords
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
National Category
Human Computer Interaction
Research subject
Computer Science with specialization in Human-Computer Interaction
Identifiers
urn:nbn:se:uu:diva-456584 (URN)978-91-513-1330-6 (ISBN)
Public defence
2021-12-10, Häggsalen, Ångströmlaboratoriet, Lägerhyddsvägen 1, Uppsala, 10:15 (English)
Opponent
Supervisors
Available from: 2021-11-19 Created: 2021-10-20 Last updated: 2021-12-29

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Andreasson, RebeccaLindblom, Jessica

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