Beyond participation -Social Influence on Information Technology and Work Environment

The contribution examines the organisation as framework for participation with focus on employees possibilities to impact the development of integrative information technology. These IT systems integrate across functions inside and outside the traditional organisation. Case studies carried out in danish industry indicates that the organisation is a poor unit of operation for participative management related to integrative IT. It is proposed rather to use segments as a analytical unit for participation and influence. A segment consists of a IT- supplier and his customer. It is argued that supplier and customer tend to build up a interdependency of economic, social and technical character. The segments works as a fortification of a dominant alliance between suppliers representatives and parts of management. The contribution argues for a revival of the collective ressource approach or other societal strategies breaking the "single company" paradigm that dominates a number of discourses aiming at developing work.