Function allocation: a perspective from studies of work practice

The aim of this paper is to explore function allocation from the perspective of studies of work practices and of the relationships between work and technology. In recent years we have conducted a number of studies broadly in the area of computer-supported collaborative work and also in the area of flight deck design methods. Our involvement in both of these areas has led us to think about the relationship between representations of work used for design and work practice as observed in field studies. The paper summarises several studies in this area and draws out some common themes that emerge. A number of factors make the relation between technological artefacts and work a complex and problematic one, and we argue that rather than seeking better ways to allocate relative immutable functions among relatively stable agents, more effort should be devoted to understanding the ways in which technologies and work practices co-evolve.