Sociotechnical systems theory

The Sociotechnical Systems (STS) Theory entry includes sections that define the theory, explore developments in the theory, demonstrate specific application of the theory to HRM, and provide suggested topic areas for future research. STS Theory involves organisation development techniques directed towards the ‘restructuring of work methods, rearrangement of technology or the redesign of organisation social structures’ (). STS recognises that organisations are composed of people and technology that are interrelated, with both the people and the technology affecting each other and how they operate within the organisation (e.g., ). The goal of STS is to optimise the relationship between the organisation’s social system, that is, its people, and the technology used to produce output. This notion of joint optimisation contends that the organisation will only achieve optimal functionality if its social and technological systems are designed to fit the demands of each other and their environment.