ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book demonstrates the parallel universes of Network Enabled Capability (NEC) and sociotechnical systems theory overlap. Where NEC speaks of peer-to-peer interaction and adhoc groups, sociotechnical systems theory (SST) speaks of semi-autonomous groups. Contemporaneous with SST's birth in the 1950's is the overlapping theme of social network analysis. NEC is overlain across a classic empirical study into the effects of different network structures, not just in terms of their outright performance but also the experience of those at work within them. Joint optimisation in the classic sociotechnical sense sees the structure of an organisation as a major tool in helping to create the conditions for cohesion, trust, shared awareness and all the other facets of joint optimisation and self-synchronisation.
