The variable impact of computer technologies on the organization of work activities

ABSTRACT

New computer tools are affecting the ways in which work is accomplished and, in turn, existing patterns of social interaction are shaping the evolution of these highly malleable tools. This paper explores the interplay between a computer-based design environment employed in the creation of machine interfaces and the "users" of this tool, including the user interface designers and the sofware engineers supporting the technology. The use of this has resulted in the restructuring the social organization of the design tasks.

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