ABSTRACT
SUMMARY During the last few years telematics has deeply penetrated the technostructure and the environment of work organizations. As a consequence fast and farreaching organizational changes seem to occur. Efforts to clarify and explain these changes are fragmentary and lack structure. Moreover they suffer from poor conceptualization, as well as from methodological problems. This chapter starts with a conceptual analysis of telematics. Four conceptual levels are distinguished-those of technology, technical artifacts, generic application systems and specific application systems-and the appropriateness of each for the study of work organizations is examined. It is concluded that for our purpose the last two levels are the most fruitful ones. Next a framework is presented that helps to develop a broad view of the issues that call for research attention. This framework distinguishes four subject areas: research & development, diffusion & adoption, design & implementation, and use & impacts. Moreover a distinction is made between descriptive, explanatory and technological (i.e. changeoriented) research. It is noted that most studies conducted thus far have followed the last line of research. They deal with early attempts to develop telematic systems and to implement them in organizations, etc. The need for empirical research on the adoption and use of telematics, and its consequences for work, is underlined. This chapter concludes with a discussion of some methodological issues. It is recognized that rigorous research is difficult to conduct. Some possible approaches to research on telematics and work are discussed.
