ABSTRACT

This article describes a set of tools that have been developed to help organizations design and evaluate new forms of work organization, especially when introducing new technology. This is important given the typical lack of attention to human and organizational issues when implementing new technology, and the paucity of practical guidance on how to implement new work designs. The existing literature describes various principles, but does not help practitioners decide which ones they should use (Section 1.1). We focus on a scenarios tool which enables planning of the work organization. The outcomes of using this method can be incorporated into questionnaire and interview tools, which can be used to evaluate the change. The tools are illustrated by a case study of group work design in a large organization which accompanied a major investment in new technology. The implications and conclusions from using the tools are also considered.