[Air-l] Organisational differences?

[Charles Ess]

> Hi everyone,
> 
> I wonder if anyone can lend some literature to the impression I have
> from interviewing a series of software engineers that their work in
> technology organisations is more valuable that the work of other
> parts of the organisation - e.g., "management", marketing,
> facilities, etc.
> 
Hi Elizabeth,

Knut Rolland (Dept. of Computer and Information Science, Norwegian
University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway:
<knutrr at idi.ntnu.no>)
now has the author's proofs of his forthcoming article, "Achieving knowledge
across borders: facilitating practices of triangulation, obliterating
ŒŒdigital junkyards¹¹" (part of a special issue of _Ethics and Information
Technology_, made up of articles developed from a faculty workshop at NTNU
in 2005 on ŒŒBridging Cultures: Computer Ethics, Culture, and ICT,¹¹
sponsored by the Programme for Applied Ethics at the Norwegian University of
Science and Technology (NTNU), (May Thorseth, Director)).
Rolland provides an excellent overview on literature relevant to
organizational cultures, with an emphasis on computer science and
engineering, and a specific focus on efforts to bridge various cultures
within organizations (defined in part as _knowledge_ cultures, because they
differ in their assumptions and practices as to what counts as knowledge and
how knowledge is to be re-presented).  His own case-study documents both a
failure and an interesting success in a global organization to foster such
culture-bridging collaboration, accompanied by careful analysis of the
factors contributing to success / failure.
I suspect that if you email him directly, he would be happy to share a
version of his article with you.

Good luck, and can you share your resulting bibliography with the list?

cheers,
charles ess

Distinguished Research Professor,
Interdisciplinary Studies <http://www.drury.edu/gp21>
Drury University
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Home page:  http://www.drury.edu/ess/ess.html

Information Ethics Fellow, 2006-07, Center for Information Policy Research,
School of Information Studies, UW-Milwaukee
Co-chair, CATaC conferences <www.catacconference.org>
Vice-President, Association of Internet Researchers <www.aoir.org>
Professor II, Globalization and Applied Ethics Programmes
<http://www.anvendtetikk.ntnu.no/pres/bridgingcultures.php>

Exemplary persons seek harmony, not sameness. -- Analects 13.23