Showing papers by "Susan Leigh Star published in 1991"

Situations vs. standards in long-term, wide-scale decision-making: the case of the International Classification of Diseases

Abstract: Presents a case study of the development and evolution of an organizational decision support system (ODSS) over a long period of time and wide geographical area. It uses the design of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) to address issues of organizational decision-making in large, dispersed organizations. Special attention is paid to the tension between standards and local contingency in such systems. Four kinds of 'wins' are proposed in this type of decision setting: contingency wins, standardization wins, delegation wins, and translation wins. The study is based on a longitudinal analysis of the development of the system, currently administered by the World Health Organization (WHO). It looks at a number of strategies the designers of the system have attempted in balancing the need for a 'universal' classification scheme with the pluralism entailed by different medical specialties, different national medical cultures, a large, changing bureaucracy, and the evolution of computing. >

Panel: Organisational Memory

Abstract: This panel session brings together a diverse group of people to explore the concept of organizational memory. Closely related to organizational learning, organizational memory is the property of organizations that provides continuity and learning. Organizational memory is not just the aggregate of the memories of the organization's members-it is a social phenomenon. The panel session explores the phenomenon of organizational memory from the following perspectives: 1) Technology. How can CSCW augment organizational memory? CSCW applications currently focus on augmenting the process, i.e. communication and coordination. Do these alone provide the basis for organizational memory? What else is needed to make the memory effective? Organizational memory is ECSCW'91 189