Change is Afoot: Applying Change Management Theories to Self-Organizing Socio-Technical Systems

Socio-technical systems are here to stay. They are going to become more important and more engrained in our daily lives. Even the relatively mundane examples we see these days have transformed the way we communicate, look up, and share knowledge, and the ways we choose our restaurants, our rides, and our vacations. Computer supported cooperative work is already transforming the workplace. Personal health and fitness applications allow us to observe our bodies and share this information within a social network that provides both praise and control. Larger-scale solutions are right around the corner. The technical feasibility of such systems is no longer under debate. Users seem to be willing to give up their data and at least some control for the benefits these socio-technical systems undoubtedly bring.