Technological Innovation and Social Change

UKWON | Journals These papers (and the larger website they come from) have a lot of interesting material on work organisatinon and topics such as innovation in the NHS, new economy etc.

Here's an exceprt from Peter Brodner's piece on the productivity paradox:
"iThe fundamental differences between semiotic and
other machines are rooted in their purpose, the way
they work, and the domain of their actions. The
domain of actions of classical machines is nature, as
they all use natural (ie mechanical, electrical, chemical
or biological) actions to transform material or energy,
while the domain of actions of semiotic machines is
social interaction, as they transform data (or signals)
in sign processes of human interaction. Consequently,
semiotic machines operate solely in the social domain
of sign processes and they do not leave the realm of
social relationships. While the functionality of classical
machines is based on the knowledge and purposeful
use of natural effects or forces, the functionality of
semiotic machines, in contrast, is based on explicit
prescriptions for acting by strictly formalising sign
processes in order to organise and coordinate
collective acting."

Discuss!