Using role interaction nets in designing embedded systems for supporting coordinated work

Organizations need to cope with rapid changes in their environment. This creates increasing pressures on agents' competence. Drawing upon structuration theory we argue that the agents must understand work as a whole, including computerized tasks, if they are to effectively manage and transform complex work practices. We claim, based on experiences with a prototype system, that developing such understanding is arduous until radical changes are made in the structure as well as the components of software systems. Specifically, we maintain that applications should be embedded in extended support systems making the organization of work and the coordinating role of information systems explicit. We call the resulting systems embedded systems. As a step towards realizing them, we propose using organizational models constructed with the help of role interaction nets as: the structural basis of embedded systems, and the new metaphor for human-computer interface design.<>