3. socio-technical systems change
- These changes are bought about, in part, by the value mismatches described above. At other times, they result from competing needs and interests brought forth by different stakeholders. For example, bicycle designs, the configuration of typewriter keys, and the design and uses of cellular phones have changed as different users have adapted these technologies to their special requirements.
- These changes also exhibit what sociologists call a “trajectory”, that is, a path of development. Trajectories themselves are subject to normative analysis. For example, some STSs and the technologies integrated into them display a line of development where the STS and the integrated technology are changed and redesigned to support certain social interests. The informating capacities of computing systems, for example, provide information which can be used to improve a manufacturing processes can or to monitor workers for enhancing management power. (See Shoshanna Zuboff,
The Age of the Smart Machine
- Trajectories, thus, outline the development of STSs and technologies as these are influenced by internal and external social forces.
In this section, you will learn about this module’s exercises. The required links above provide information on the frameworks used in each section. For example, the Socio-Technical System module provides background information on socio-technical analysis. The "Three Frameworks" module provides a further description of the ethics tests, their pitfalls, and the feasibility test. These exercises will provide step by step instructions on how to work through the decision points presented above.
Decision point one:
You are the publicist for the company Biomatrix, a manufacturer of biotechnology products including Synvisc, a promising treatment for osteoarthritis. The CEO, Endre Balazs, and Vice President, Janet Denlinger, come to you. It seems that they are quite upset. Biomatrix and its top level employees have become the victims of cyber-smear. Dozens of messages have appeared in the highly visible Yahoo Financial Bulletin Board that make the following unsubstantiated accusations:
- Synvisc (a product manufactured by Biomatrix) produces seriously harmful side effects
- Biomatrix has deceived its stockholders by suppressing negative financial and product information
- Biomatrix and its employees have connections to the mafia
- Company public releases that the merger between Biomatrix and Genzyme is friendly are false. In fact, the messages allege that the merger will never take place because of Biomatrix’s terrible financial profile
- Biomatrix CEO is under investigation by famous Nazi hunter, Simon Wiesenthal, for crimes he allegedly committed in Germany during the Second World War
- Biomatrix Vice President requires sexual favors from employees under her supervision as a condition for promotion
None of these charges is true. But Balazas and Denlinger are devastated by the personal attacks made upon them. Biomatrix also stands to lose a great deal from the negative publicity. Allegations of side effects from using Synvisc, a promising new produce patented by the company, threaten to drive the product out of the market. The recently announced friendly merger between Biomatrix and Genzyme has produced modest gains in stock prices but the cyber slanderers seem determined to drive Biomatrix stock value down.
