COM332 – SA3

ETHICS Methodology

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• ETHICS methodology developed by Enid Mumford – Effective Technical and Human

Implementation of Computer-based Systems,

– Ensures the non-technical aspects of the system design are handled efficiently without stress.

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• Objectives – Legitimise a value position in which the users of

the future computer systems play a major part in the design

• People should be able to influence the design of their own work situation.

• This kind of intervention helps to achieve both job satisfaction and efficiency gain.

– Job satisfaction gains » Members of the group whose job is going to be

affected by the system change are the best people to diagnose their job satisfaction

– Efficiency gains » This group will have an excellent knowledge about the

day-to-day information needs and work problems and can make useful contribution.

» Also the group will be committed to work efficiently a system which they themselves partly designed.

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– Enable the group concerned with the system design to set specific job satisfaction levels in addition to the usual technical and operational objectives.

• To avoid undesirable human consequences such as a routinisation and de-skilling of work.

• To avoid negative responds – Refusing to operate the system or ensuring the system

runs at low efficiency.

– Third objective is to ensure that any new system is surrounded by a compatible, well-functioning, organisational system

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• ETHICS methodology– Believes user involvement, clear job satisfaction

objectives and recognition of organisational factors will greatly assists the successful planning, design and implementation of computer based information system.

– Enables everyone involved with the system development to consider the human as well as technical factors thought out the analysis and design of any new system

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• ETHICS method– Is a set of logical and sequential steps.– Allows considering the business and human needs

at each stage.– Allow the users to identify their needs and

problems.– Set efficiency, effectiveness and job satisfaction

objectives– Examine alternative organisational and technical

design strategies and select the ones that best fit the priority objectives for implementation.

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• ETHICS methodology incorporates the joint philosophies of participative and socio-technical design.

• The philosophy is explicitly stated.

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• Participative system design– Important feature of ETHICS is the participation of

users in the system design process.

• “A process in which two or more parties influence each other in making plans, policies or decisions. It is restricted to decisions that have future effects on all those asking the decisions or on those represented by them” Mumford (1995).

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• the socio-technical approach– A successful system will only arise where the

social and organisational needs of the work group are given equal weight with the technical aspect

• “A socio-technical approach is one which recognises the interaction of technology and people and produces work systems which are both technically efficient and have social characteristics which lead to high job satisfaction.”

(Enid Mumford)

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• Socio-technical principles– The work system is the basic unit, not the

operations making it up.– The work group is the primary social unit, not the

individual job holder.– Internal regulation is by the work group itself.– Because the basic unit is the work group,

individual jobs can be multi-skilled.– Emphasis is placed on the discretionary elements

of jobs, not the prescribed parts– Work organisation aims to increase variety of

work, not decrease it.– People are complementary to machines, not

subservient to them.

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• Design of a new system is considered as a four-step change process:– Set objectives.– Foster adaptation– Integration– Stabilisation.

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• Setting and attainment of system objectives – Traditionally system objectives are set by senior

management and computer technologists – In Each design group member should list the

efficiency effectiveness and job satisfaction objectives most important to the group whose interests they represent.

– They should allocate priorities to all these objectives

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• Adaptation– Adaptation concerned with moving from one technical and

organisational structure and state to another smoothly and successfully.

• implementation of new system.

– Adaptation requires re-conciliation of different interests.

• Integration– Action taken, once the system has been designed and is

being implemented, to ensure a new situation reaches a state of equilibrium.

– Involve bringing the different components of task, technology, people and organisational environment together into a viable and stable relationship.

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Technology (with requirements

and constraints)

Organisational environment (reflecting business

objectives)

People (with values and

needs)

Tasks (which require motivation

and competence)

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• The relationship between the four variables should be stable, but not static. – Organisation must be able to respond to new pressures from

their environment. – The introduction of a new technical system is likely to disturb

each variable. • New level of technology bring new man-machine relationship

incorporation both opportunities and constraints.

– Tasks are influenced by the technology, the task structure of functions or departments using the system will be altered.

– New tasks means new demands are made of people and this affect the job satisfaction positively or negatively.

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• Stabilisation– Once the integration has been achieved it has to

be maintained. – New patterns of relationship must be stabilised so

as to meet the values and interests of groups involved a period of time.

– Successful relationship between the four variable for one group may make it difficult for another group to achieve similar relationship.

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• Job satisfaction– “The attainment of a good fit between what

the employee is seeking from his work – his job needs, expectation and aspirations – and what he is required to do in his job – the organisational job requirements which mould his experience”

Mumford and Weir (1979)

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• A frame work for measuring the job satisfaction was developed by Parsons and Shills (1951).

• In order to ascertain how good this fit is, a theory for measuring the satisfaction has been developed and integrated into this framework

• This identified five areas of measurement

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The employee’s job needs The employee’s job experience

The employee A good fit exists when the employee

The KNOWLEDGE fit Want the personal skills and knowledge to be used and developed

Believes personal skills and knowledge are being well used and developed

The PSYCHOLOGICAL fit Seeks to further personal interests, e.g to have sense of achievement, recognition, responsibility, status

Believes that the personal interests are being successfully catered for.

The EFFICIENCY fit Seeks and equitable effort-reward bargain and controls including supervisory ones which are acceptable. Seeks efficient support service such as information, technical aids and supervisory help

Believes that financial rewards are fair and other control systems acceptable. Believes that support services are efficient and adequate.

The TASK STRUCTURE fit Seeks a set of tasks which meets requirements for task differentiation, e.g which incorporate variety, interests, targets, feedback, task identity and autonomy

Has a set of tasks and duties, which meet needs for task differentiation.

The ETHICAL (social value) fit

Seeks to work for an employer whose values do not contravene with personal values

Believes that the philosophy and values of the employee do not contravene personal value.

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• ETHICS has 15 steps

1. Why change?• The first meeting of the design group considers this

fundamental question and addresses the current problem and opportunities.

• The result should be a convincing statement of the need for change.

2. System boundaries.• Design group identifies the boundaries of the system

and the interfaces with other systems. • Four areas are considered

– Business activities affected (sales, finance, personnel)– Existing technology affected– Parts of the organisation affected (departments and

sections)– Parts of the organisational environment affected

(suppliers and customers)

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3. Description of existing system.• This is to educate the design group as to how the

existing system works.• Horizontal input/output analysis is described

– Inputs on the left, activities in the middle and outputs on the right.

• Vertical analysis of design area activities is made at five different levels• Operating activities• Problem prevention/solution activities• Co-ordination activities• Development activities• Control activities

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• 4-6.Key objectives and tasks.

• Three questions are asked4. Why do a particular area Exists, what is

their Role and purpose?

5. What should be their Responsibilities and functions?

6. How far do their Present activities match what they should be doing?

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7. Diagnosis of efficiency needs.• Weak links in the existing system are identified and

documented. • Variance form the desired or expected norm or standards

8. Diagnosis of job satisfaction needs.• This step measures the job satisfaction needs. Achieved by

use of a standard questionnaire provided in the ETHICS methodology.

• The results are discussed democratically and the underlying reason established for any areas where poor job satisfaction fits.

• In addition formulations for improving the situation in the new design are made.

9. Future analysis.• An attempt is made to identify the future changes that may

occur and to build a certain amount of flexibility into the new system

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10. Specifying and weighting efficiency and job satisfaction needs and objectives.• Key step in the whole methodology. • Achievement of an agreed and ranked set of objectives

can be very difficult. – Often objectives conflicts and the priorities may be very

different.

– The differences may not be always resolved, but using ETHICS methodology these differences are aired.

– Ultimately a list of priority and secondary objectives is produced.

• At this stage some iterations are recommended.

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11.The organisational design of a new system.• If possible should be performed in parallel with

technical design. • The organisational changes that are needed to meet

the efficiency and job satisfaction objectives are specified.

12.Technical options.• Various technical options that might be appropriate

including the hardware, software, HCI are specified. • Each option is evaluate against job satisfaction,

efficiency and future change objectives.• The organisational and technical options are merged to

ensure compatibility and evaluated against primary objectives.

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13.The preparation of a detailed work design.• The selected system is designed in detail. • The data flows, tasks, groups, individuals,

responsibilities and relationships are defined. • Also ensures the detailed design meets the

objectives.

14.Implementation.• Design group applies itself to ensuring the

successful implementation of the design. • Involves planning the implementation process

in detail.

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15.Evaluation.• The implemented system is checked to

ensure that it is meeting its objectives, particularly in relation to efficiency and job satisfaction– Uses the techniques of variance analysis and

measures of job satisfaction.

• If it is not meeting the objectives– Corrective action is taken.– The cycle repeats