Cases observed in industry and research laboratories are presented and interpreted based on the socio-technical system approach (Emery/Trist) of examining the reciprocal relationship between the technical and the social subsystems.
This book is primarily intended for engineering and quality professionals who want:
-to know the limitations of current methods used in product development;
-to examine the so-called soft factors by means of grounded studies of their effect on R&D performance; and
-not only to acknowledge the influence of soft factors but to actively consider their potential to improve the work environment.