Administrative Science Quarterly: Technicians in the workplace: ethnographic evidence for bringing work into organization studies Export

@article{citeulike:592726, author = {Barley, Stephen}, citeulike-article-id = {592726}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4035/is_n3_v41/ai_18905152}, comment = { In 1990, 8 researchers started collaborating over a period of 5 years to understand what technicians do, producing ethnographies to model the work of technicians and its implications for organizing. Each research took responsibility for one or more type of technicians in two phases, first to study well-known occupations based on personal interest, and second to cover the remaining types. Weekly meetings facilitated collaboration. Positioned in organizations as buffers or brokers, the core work of technicians lies in linking symbols and materials. Buffer technicians produce data and buffer other professionals. Broker technicians are independent and seen by others as foreigners, unless the organization specializes in repair. Technicians know how to minimize uncertainty and avoid common mistakes. Some technicians develop ways to access the knowledge of technicians of other organizations. Vertical organizations are threaten by the authority of expertise of technicians, which is typical of the domain-specific division of labor in occupational or horizontal organizations.}, posted-at = {2006-04-20 18:20:18}, priority = {0}, title = {Administrative Science Quarterly: Technicians in the workplace: ethnographic evidence for bringing work into organization studies}, url = {http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4035/is_n3_v41/ai_18905152} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:592726 L3 - citeulike-article-id:592726 TI - Administrative Science Quarterly: Technicians in the workplace: ethnographic evidence for bringing work into organization studies N1 - In 1990, 8 researchers started collaborating over a period of 5 years to understand what technicians do, producing ethnographies to model the work of technicians and its implications for organizing. Each research took responsibility for one or more type of technicians in two phases, first to study well-known occupations based on personal interest, and second to cover the remaining types. Weekly meetings facilitated collaboration. Positioned in organizations as buffers or brokers, the core work of technicians lies in linking symbols and materials. Buffer technicians produce data and buffer other professionals. Broker technicians are independent and seen by others as foreigners, unless the organization specializes in repair. Technicians know how to minimize uncertainty and avoid common mistakes. Some technicians develop ways to access the knowledge of technicians of other organizations. Vertical organizations are threaten by the authority of expertise of technicians, which is typical of the domain-specific division of labor in occupational or horizontal organizations. AU - Barley, Stephen UR - http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m4035/is_n3_v41/ai_18905152 ER -