Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology, and Society - Current activities and research projects
Workshop Darmstadt, 30.01.08

Darmstadt University of Technology

Outline

Research group on Work, Technology, and Society

Facts and Figures Fields of Research Mission Statement Working Groups

Selected Projects
(Web) Service Oriented Architectures and Organization Tacit Knowledge and its Implications for Knowledge Management Labor Flexibility and ICT

Workshop - current activities and research projects

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Facts & Figures

Facts and Figures

People
Prof. Dr. phil. Rudi Schmiede, Dr. phil. Helmut Wenzel, Dr. phil. Christian Schilcher, MA (Med.wiss.) Sabine Krause Dr. phil. Mario Seger, Dr.-Ing. Regina Beuthel, Dipl.-Ing. Vera Nitsch, Dipl.Wirt.-Ing. Karlheinz Mller 14 doctoral students, among them Dipl.-Soz. Peter Kels, Dipl.-Vw. Tina Klug, Dipl.-Soz. Sebastian Remer

Courses
On theories and structures of society, work and technology, knowledge and information, media and scientific information systems, spatial dimensions of work

Active in Graduate Schools

On the development of technologies and society On infrastructures of electronic markets
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Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Fields of research

Our research focuses on social change and economical development linked with formalization, informatization, and new modes of knowledge production. Information technology (IT) plays, of course, an important role in this context.

Research fields 1)Critical Analysis of the so-called informationand knowledge society (historical perspectives and contemporary analysis combined) 2)Analysis of work, employment, organization in the course informatization and of

3) Examination of the meaning of information technology regarding inter- and intraorganizational change 4) Living in the information- and knowledge society - consequences for individuals

Workshop - current activities and research projects

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Mission statement

To identify social opportunities and support the autonomy of the individual, we are engaged in research and teaching on the human uses and control of modern information and communication technologies. To this end we work with a mixture of theoretical and empirical approaches and methods. Furthermore, we are active in inter-organizational projects (e.g. technology and organization assessment, governmental research, ) and in inter-disciplinary research (e.g. with computer and information science, engineering, architecture, ).

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Working Groups

Kairos (Kritical Analysis of the InfoRmatization Of Society) examines social change from a macro-sociological perspective. Kairos most important analysis (theoretical and empirical) are published in Virtuelle Arbeitswelten. Arbeit, Produktion und Subjekt in der Informationsgesellschaft". Further studies are available in the form of conference papers, articles, & doctoral theses. Currently, Kairos works on topics such as knowledge management, different forms of knowledge production and the relationship of information and knowledge.
Workshop - current activities and research projects

Projects in process: Meaning of knowledge and experience in intensive care medicine: Alexandra Manzei [since 10/2004], Doctoral theses: Theoretical and empirical analysis of society: Helmut Wenzel 2000, Nicolai Egloff 2001, Alexandra Manzei 2002 Knowledge & knowledge management: Christian Schilcher 2006, AndreeaMalvina Zarcula 2006 Use of media: Thomas Berker 2000, Ute Enderlein 2002, Oana Mitrea 2005, Sabine Krause
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Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Working Groups

Transfer combines our research in development of work, organization and technology with questions on industrial relations. Projects: Industrial relations in IT-Industry (ArbIT): Andrea Baukrowitz, Andreas Boes [11/1998-5/2000] Lack of IT-Experts in Hesse (Pro IT ITFachkrfte fr Hessen"): Christoph Mrdter, Ulrike Stein (in cooperation with Inst. f. Wirtschaft, Arbeit und Kultur IWAK, Frankfurt am Main) [1/200112/2003] www.proit-hessen.de Telework in public administration: Mario Seger [1/2001-12/2002] Professional development in IT-Industry (ProITProfessionals): Regina Beuthel, Karlheinz Mller (advisory), Vera Nitsch, Mario Seger, Ulrike Stein, Annette Albert, Svetlana Pereverzeva [1/20048/2005 for Hesse government, 9/2005-12/2007 for federal government] www.proit-professionals.de
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Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Working Groups

Transfer combines our research in development of work, organization and technology with questions on industrial relations. Projects II: Topology of modern office work. (Zentrum fr Arbeitswelten): Tina Klug, Brigitte Petendra, Sebastian Remer (together with architects (TUD), real estate economists (european business school), and Congena GmbH) [since 1/2004] www.z-aw.de Evaluation 10-SVP. communicative Aspects of 10SVP rollout at Deutsche Bahn AG (Evaluation of a real estate management system): Tina Enders, Sybille Jahn [4/2005-1/2006]

Workshop - current activities and research projects

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Working Groups

Transfer combines our research in development of work, organization and technology with questions on industrial relations. Doctoral theses: (Work & IT:) Philine Warnke 2002, Carsten Dose 2004, Mario Seger 2005, Jacqueline Rudat, Tina Klug, Peter Kels, Kira Marrs 2006 (Organization & IT:) Jochen Fortner 2002, Regina Konrad 2002, Claudia Rainfurth 2003, Rainer Lehmann 2005, Herwig Dahnke 2005, Alexandra Jhnich, Boris Gloger, Hans-Gnter Joost, Brita Hohlmann, Sebastian Remer www.soa-change.com (Industrial relations:) Karl-Heinz Reichert 2001, Andreas Boes 2002, Andrea Baukrowitz

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Working Groups

telos (technology for electronic libraries and the organization of the semantic web) comprises all technical development projects regarding digital libraries and integrated scientific information systems. We see digital libraries as one important field of modern knowledge production and dissemination. Telos is part of European Delos-Network of excellence. Projects (I): Darmstdter Virtueller Gesamtkatalog (DVK): Helmut Wenzel, Winfried Go, Steffen No [19951997] Evaluation of a digital library (Interdoc): Stefan Winkler, Wolfgang Meier [1999/2000] Virtuelle Fachbibliothek Soziologie (VibSoz): Wolfgang Meier, Sue Heise (in cooperation with IZ Sozialwissenschaften, Bonn) [5/2000-3/2002] www.vibsoz.de Webserver German sociological association (GSA): Christian Hlzel, Vitus Vth [1-12/2001] www.soziologie.de SozioNet: Wolfgang Meier, Sue Heise, Natascha Schumann [4/2002-5/2005] htttp://www.sozionet. org/index.xml
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Workshop - current activities and research projects

Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Working Groups

telos (technology for electronic libraries and the organization of the semantic web) comprises all technical development projects regarding digital libraries and integrated scientific information systems. We see digital libraries as one important field of modern knowledge production and dissemination. Telos is part of European Delos-Network of excellence. Projects (II): Concepts of Digital Libraries: Stephan Krnig, Marianne Engel [1/2001-12/2002] Global Info: Stephan Krnig (in cooperation with German Chemical Society (GDCh), Ffm) [4/199712/2000] Generic portals and competence networks, DLServices: Stephan Krnig, Julia Stoll [1/20038/2005] http://www.generische-portale.de/space/start Doctoral theses: Franz-Karl Kaltenborn 1999, Stefan Winkler, Mariangela Josefina Biscochea Pereira, Peggy Martin
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Workshop - current activities and research projects

Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Group on Work, Technology and Society Working Groups Further doctoral theses: Klaus Schmierl: Payment by Results in Modern Industries, 1995. Reinhard Breler: Industrial Research, 1996. Peter Rosenthal: Social Aspects of Automotive Design, 1999. Jrgen Bscher: The year 2000-Problem (Organizational re-search), 2003. Irem Erat: Turkish Immigrants.
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Darmstadt University of Technology

Outline

Research group on Work, Technology, and Society

Facts and Figures Fields of Research Mission Statement Working Groups

Selected Projects
(Web) Service Oriented Architectures and Organization Tacit Knowledge and its Implications for Knowledge Management Labor Flexibility and ICT

Workshop - current activities and research projects

30.01.08

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Darmstadt University of Technology

(Web) Service Oriented Architectures and Organization

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Web Services and Service Oriented Architecture are heavily hyped. But: Where there's Smoke there's Fire.
Web Services: XMLs Killer App (Novell 2001) Silver bullet - Web Services (SAP 2004) From niche to mega trend of Internet (CGE&Y 2002) Mega-trend in Internet (FAZ 2002) Lego-Logic (ibid. 2005) Web-Services will change the world economy (Computerwoche 2003) SOA is ITs Perestroika (ibid. 2006) One of the most misunderstood and hyped technologies in recent memory (Kaye 2003) Mainframe Client/Server Enterprise Services Architectures (Woods and Word 2004) Web Services will change the world (Silberberger 2003)
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Workshop - current activities and research projects

Darmstadt University of Technology

So, What Is a SOA?

Definition Benefits

A Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a specific software architecture based on services as fundamental elements for integrating and developing applications. Services are specific software components. They are well-defined, self-contained and encapsulate high-level business functionality. Services communicate with each other [] [and] can adopt different roles. When acting as a service provider a service publishes its interfaces that can be invoked by other services that play the major role of a service requestor. A SOA is characterised by the loosely coupling of the services involved. A service can be replaced by other services at runtime (Berbner et al. 2005) projects Workshop - current activities and research

IT Flexibility
Eases network collaboration Improves access to market Facilitates data integration, less vendor dependency Allows re-alignment of IT on Business Processes 30.01.08 16

Darmstadt University of Technology

Web Service and SOA Research focuses strongly only on technical questions. An embedded perspective is needed.

Technology never just comes out of the box but follows certain trajectories

SOA, Web Services

The usage of technology always implies organizational and social issues

We must analyze SOA from a much broader perspective, including technical, economical, political, and social problems. We must understand SOA as an important change management problem. Therefore, we must focus on people's specific roles and requirements.

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Coming from a big picture approach one can find similarities in organizational and technical development

Organizational Environment

Hierarchy
Fordism Mass market Economy by scale Stable environments Basic local parameters are regulated Automation
Efficiency/ Stability

Network
Toyotism Demanding clients Economy by scope Rapid technology change/ product innovation De-regulation Modularization Complexity Flatter Hierarchy Team Management Delegation of responsibility De-centralization Stronger market orientation Organization around processes (not tasks)

Clear Inputoutput relation Taylorism Centralization Clear boundaries

Flexibility

Enterprise Technology

Enterprise Technology not only enabler but also follower sometimes even tie/ limitation in this process

Mainframes

PCs

Network
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Workshop - current activities and research projects Standardization of hardware Vendor lock in

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A closer look reveals the same again: Conways Law shows how communication structure affects the system.

Any organization which designs a system (defined more broadly here than just information systems) will inevitably produce a design whose structure is a copy of the organization's communication structure Replace "system" by "committee." Replace "subsystem" by "subcommittee." Replace "interface" by "coordinator."
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Looking closer on SOAs basic principle, it addresses some problems of

Business Strategy

PC1*

PC2

PC3

PC4

PC5

PC6
Communication Networks

S1 **

S2

S3

S4

S5

S6

Backend Systems/ Legacy Systems

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* Process Component ** Service

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inflexible monolithic ERP approaches.

Business Strategy

extended

PC1*

PC2

PC3

PC4

PC5

PC6

PC7

HR

Fin

Mark

Sales

ERP approach

* Process Component

Backend Systems/ Legacy Systems

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Research on SOA and Web Services focuses very much on the technical side. Important organizational issues are mostly unstudied.

Through an additional service layer the SOA decouples the business logic from the system side and thereby increases flexibility.
Workshop - current activities and research projects

But the additional layer also affects the organizational structure. Here we need a further layer, too. Hence, SOA is a huge change management project and research is needed at this point.
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Applying Conways Law: The additional service layer must be reflected in organizational structure, too.
Business Side
Expert Expert Principal Expert Expert

SOA Architectural Board

Service Domain Domain Owner Service Expert Owner

Service Domain Domain Owner Service Expert Owner

Software Project PM SD Expert

External provider S6

IT Side

Software Software architect Developer Workshop - current activities and research projects

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First expert interviews reveal: SOA can affect Organizations massively

Research Questions SOA affects IT Governance massively How to arrange new responsibility for a service, a service orchestration, a domain? How to design the SLAs, pricing mechanism (especially in service compositions)? How to prevent uncontrollable service growth? New skills for employees needed How can IT side understand business better (and vice versa)? Which IT skills are needed in the future? How to get the mind change needed for successful collaboration on distributed services (not invented here problem vs. prisoner's dilemma) Engage the SOA change is difficult How to prevent from rash design decisions? Flexibility as an objective is abstract and hard to explain and running traditional business cases on SOA is difficult. So, how to convince the sceptics? Are there any typical patterns of resistance against SOA within organizations? Method Case study approach Expert interviews with different stake holders (CIO, External Consultants, External Service Consumers, Workshop - current activities and research projects 30.01.08 24 External Service Providers, Functional Departments, Software Developers,) Document analysis

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Do you know an interesting SOA Case?

Further Case Study needed We look for an org. which is involved in SOA projects and which is interested in a research collaboration including expert interviews and data analysis Steve Sawyer, PhD Associate Professor of Information Sciences and Technology (IST), Pennsylvania State University Research interests on Social and Organizational Informatics Prof. Dr. Rudi Schmiede Professor of Sociology at Darmstadt University of Technology Research interests in Sociology of Work and Organizations Co-speaker of Enabling Technologies for ECommerce 30.01.08 25

www.soachange.com

John M. Jordan, PhD Executive Director of the eBusiness Research Center (eBRC) Smeal College of Business, Pennsylvania State University Publisher of Early Indicators newsletter
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Further steps, rough time table

Getting an overview of WS and SOA Literature (also: Tracking of IT-Newsletters, consulting & market research reports) Developing rough research concept Getting deeper insight into CSCW, SI, OI research

Further conceptual development

Visiting specific SOA-Conferences and big vendor's road shows

Fostering further fieldwork (expert interviews, case study?) Finishing PhD Thesis

Conducting case study at Deutsche Post

Fini sh

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Tacit Knowledge and its Implications for Knowledge Management

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Darmstadt University of Technology

Tacit Knowledge and its Implications for Knowledge Management

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Labor Flexibility and Information and Communication Technology

Darmstadt University of Technology

Research Questions

What is the relationship between the development of information and communication technology and the increasing flexibility of labor? Understanding that relationship enables to influence developments in a way that negative outcomes are reduced and positive outcomes are promoted. Flexibility becomes manifest within the micro-level and respectively the subjective dimensions of labor, where modern communication structures play an important role.

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Background

Economical restructuring as well as organizational, institutional, and individual changes Software Developers and IT Industry Comparison situation in USA and Germany

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SWET Analysis

SWET Analysis: Framework for analyzing labor process restructuring along four fundamental, inter-related dimensions of the labor process.
Benner 2005, p. 2

Four Dimensions of the Labor Process: Space Work Employment Time

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Thank you for your attention!