ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on specific implementations of ethnographic practices for development work within corporate environments. Ethnographic praxis in industry has deep roots in several related occupations. As ethnography gained recognition among business managers for its valuable contributions to the bottom line, an important milestone was reached in 2005 when a group of leaders from various innovative companies launched the Ethnographic Praxis in Industry Conference (EPIC). Nonetheless, the development of systems and products follows different paths, reflects different priorities, and demands different expertise from the ethnographer. Science employs systems to classify and explain the physical, natural, and mechanical world. A political system determines how a nation is governed. An economic system establishes the patterns for production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. A theological system assigns roles and responsibilities to supernatural actors. The chapter explains a system as a set of relationships, activities, and tools implemented among members of a work process community.
