Psychosocial communication and computerization

摘要

The article focuses on one component of the psychosocial work environment — communication — in large and complex organizations. The computerization of the work environment places greater demands upon the social and emotional component of communication. Thus we need to look at the interaction of people at work from both a quantitative and qualitative perspective. The wider theoretical perspective in the RAM project as well as the theoretical framework focusing the relationship between computerization, organizational factors, and communication are presented. The results are based on two studies and relate to the third and fourth periods in the evolution of computer technology. The article shows the importance of human-human interaction specifying this both regarding context and quality. The results also show that with the latest phase of computerization, which implies even more advanced computer functions like broader use of knowledge-based systems (KBS), aspects of human-human communication become crucial for certain tasks and in certain environments. Results show that KBS is a strong tool for organizational training, but for effective use training in human-human interaction is essential. A more general conclusion is that the concept of psychosocial communication should be emphasized in the future as an essential part of the psychosocial work environment.