what-when-how
In Depth Tutorials and Information
A proposed taxonomy of sociotechnical systems studies can therefore consist of
the following:
◾
StructuralStudies
: Research on architecture, technological artifacts, protocols
and standards, networks, hierarchies, optimization and structural “ilities,” etc.
◾
Behavioral Studies
: Research on nonlinearity, dynamic or behavioral com-
plexity, dynamic “ilities,” material/energy/information lows, dynamic pro-
gramming, emergence, etc.
◾
Agent/Actor System Studies
: Research on decision making under uncertainty,
agent-based modeling, enterprise architecture, human-technology interac-
tions, labor-management relations, organizational theory, lean enterprise, etc.
◾
PolicyStudies
: Research on the interactions of the sociotechnical system with
its environment, including institutional context and political economy, stake-
holder involvement, labor relations, and social goals of sociotechnical sys-
tems, as well as ecosystem and sustainability research.
1.5 SociotechnicalNetworks
One major type of sociotechnical system is sociotechnical networks. hese are nor-
mally networked physical/technological systems used and managed by a network
of people, organizations, and enterprises. he Internet is a good example of such a
system, as is the power grid. Sociotechnical networks are important because they
can span across nations and impact millions of individuals. hey are often critical
in the effective functioning of societies and economies. Because of their networked
nature, sociotechnical networks face major challenges with regard to security, resil-
ience, reliability, multiobjective multilayer optimization, and tensions between
local and global control and optimization. Additionally, there are organizational/
institutional challenges in regulation, standards, management, and governance of
these networks. We will look at each of these issues briefly in subsequent sections.
1.5.1 Security
he networked nature of sociotechnical systems makes them vulnerable to major
security breaches that can endanger the operations of the network and compromise
critical information and data. Due to the large number of access points in larger
sociotechnical networks, developing a “secure” network is a highly challenging
notion. he security aspect of sociotechnical networks has been primarily explored
at the data network level. Many sociotechncial data network layers are heteroge-
neous in nature and can include a TCP/IP backbone, sensor networks, WiMax,
wireless local area networks, and cellular networks, all of which are vulnerable
to security breaches. here have been extensive studies on network security for
different sociotechnical systems, including risk and vulnerability assessment for
