Thesis--University of Wisconsin--Madison. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 340-347).

Thesis (M. Sc. (Human Kinetics and Ergonomics))--Rhodes University, 2005.

Ambiguities have long intrigued design and new product development (NPD) researchers: The fascination seems rooted in an endeavor to understand how design outcomes may be created despite the ambiguous nature of such work. There are several classic contributions on how to categorize, avoid and approach ambiguities. Some of the newer theories have also pointed to benefits arising from temporarily sustaining ambiguity. Little research has considered how ambiguities emerge, how ambiguities are sensed by practitioners, and the actions the practitioners take, either to harness or to reduce the generative and transformative power of ambiguity, however. This is unfortunate, since ambiguities are at the heart of such knowing-work. If one does not know how to sense the emergence of ambiguities and act to reduce or harness their generative and transformative power, i.e. negotiate ambiguity, the work might become unproductive, confused, uncreative, and might require more energy and attention. The purpose of this research is to portray how ambiguities emerge and are negotiated in knowing-work. This is achieved by drawing on two cases of design and NPD work, from practice epistemology. The results indicated that the emerging ambiguities changed in the ongoing work, some being reduced, others becoming obsolete or persisting. The results also included five generalized actions to negotiate ambiguity: (1) constructing points of references, (2) mediating between perspectives, (3) anchoring in expertise, (4) disarming future resistance, and (5) creating shared visions. This research has concluded that the very essence of design work concerns the emergence and fading away of ambiguity. The actions taken to negotiate ambiguity mediates the emergence of the design outcome. This research makes two contributions: first, it illustrates how ambiguities open up design work by creating a space for action; second, it illustrates how actions to negotiate ambiguity maneuver in this space for action. / Den typ av arbete som tar sig an utvecklandet av nya produkter och tjänster omges ofta av oklarhet kring vad som skall skapas, hur den framtida marknaden ser ut samt vilka utmaningar som kommer att framträda under arbetets gång. Sådana oklarheter har studerats i design- och produktutvecklingsforskning, ofta under antagandet att oklarheterna bör undvikas och minimeras. Dock finns det även nyare forskning som pekar mot att oklarheter kan vara fördelaktiga i arbetet. Forskningen är dock begränsad vad gäller hur oklarheterna framträder i arbetet, hur praktiker förnimmer dessa oklarheter, samt hur en kan ta sig an dessa oklara situationer för att söka reducera eller dra nytta av potentialen i oklara situationer. Detta är olyckligt, då oklarhet ligger i skapandearbetets kärna. En sådan begränsad kunskapsbildning leder till förenklade antaganden kring oklarhetens roll i design- och produktutvecklingsarbete. Därtill får det rent praktiska konsekvenser då designkonsulternas praktik och yrkeskunnande delvis är höljd i dunkel, genom att deras förmåga att förnimma och förhandla oklarhet tidigare förbisetts. Syftet med denna forskning är således att studera hur oklarheter framträder samt förhandlas i skapandearbete, genom att stödja sig på empiriska studier av arbetet i två designkonsultföretag, utifrån ett praktikperspektiv. Resultaten visar både att oklarheter uppkommer och försvinner kontinuerligt i arbetet, samt beskriver fem förhandlingsaktiviteter: (1) skapa referenspunkter; (2) medla mellan perspektiv; (3) förankra i expertis; (4) avväpna framtida motstånd; och (5) skapa gemensamma visioner. Slutsatserna visar på att oklarheter skapar tolkningsutrymme i arbetet: i tvetydighetens många tolkningar öppnas ett utrymme för skapande och möjlighet till omtolkning. Därtill framkommer att förhandlingsaktiviteterna manövrerar i detta tolkningsutrymme, genom att nyttja eller minska oklarhetens många tolkningar. / <p>QC 20170508</p>

Practice of architecture requires the performance of different kind of activities for the production of an architectural work. Architectural production is achieved through two major processes which are design and construction. Each involves activities peculiar to it. Conceptualizing and drawing are two examples of activities embedded in the design process. Generally, there is a time interval between design and construction, in that what is created is not realized immediately. Although there are time intervals between each process and each activity, they must somehow be related. The conventional view of architecture relates them with the aid of analogies or knowledge from socio-political framework. However, these methods divert architecture from questioning issues of the discipline itself. This thesis claims that architecture should be liberated from narratives that are used to relate design, built work and users. Moreover, it suggests that each activity takes shape not through reference to analogies or representations, but through acts at the instant of production. This thesis discusses the acts involved in design process. It claims that design requires the design of its acts as well. For that, it offers ideas about the identification and operation of acts in design with reference to certain works of architecture. The investigation concerning how acts are organized opens up a new area of research in the architectural discipline: a research concerning designography in architecture.

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THIS THESIS PRESENTS an empirical ethnographic study that has been conducted as fieldwork within army command organizations, leading to a qualitative analysis of data. The title of the thesis captures the contents of both command work and research, both domains being affected by new technologies during a period of drastic changes in the military institution. The overriding research question was why efforts to implement modern information technology are so slow, costly, and why the contribution from the output as regards higher control efficiency is so uncertain. Two cases will be described and analysed. One is a meeting and the other is the development of a computer artefact. Based on these two cases, the study suggests that social value and not only rational control efficiency defines what is applied, both in the development process and in practice. Knowledge and power, expertise and authority, represented by experts and formal leaders have to be brought together if the work is to be efficient. Both knowledge from research and information technology will be rejected, if considered irrelevant. I have called this applying a rationality of practice. From the case analysis it can be said that command work is not ordinary managerial work. Rather, it is a kind of design work, dynamic and hard to define and control. Command work is knowledge-intensive; it designs and produces symbols. Therefore it is very flexible and involves interpretation and negotiation of both its content and products. The most important symbol is the Army, which must be visible and credible, built from real components. Command work is pragmatic and opportunistic, conducted by experts in the modern military command structure who transform the operational environment, and control it through controlling actions. In that respect autonomy, a prerequisite to meet evolving events—frictions—and power become core issues, interchangeable goals and means for flexible social control, in cybernetic terms variety. Key concepts are social value, function and visibility. Actors must be visible in the command work, and make work visible. Consequently, when designing control tools, such as information systems, the design challenge is to reconcile dynamic and pragmatic demands for power, autonomy and control with demands for stability. Such an organization becomes a viable system, one that can survive, because there is no conflict between its mind and physical resources. In operational terms, this means having freedom of action. The prerequisite to achieve this is one perspective on knowledge and information and that information systems match the needs growing from within the work because work builds the organization.

Thesis (M.App.Psy.)--University of Waikato, 2007. / Title from PDF cover (viewed May 28, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-117)

This diploma thesis is dedicated to possibilities for assessing the costs of architectural and engineering works. The aim of the diploma thesis is determining costs which are associated with architectural and engineering work and then to define costs per unit of measure – an hour of work and m3 built-up space. The next step is to compare real prices of contracts with those found from the pricing tools used in the Czech Republic. The result is to formulate conclusions and summary of results, which were find out from the practical part of this diploma thesis.

Im Whitepaper werden die Notwendigkeit und die Grundlagen einer systematischen Verknüpfung von Arbeitswissenschaften und Dienstleistungswissenschaften im Sinne der Gestaltung nachhaltig humaner Arbeit in Zeiten der Digitalisierung dargestellt. Ein neuer Ansatz für die Gestaltung von Interaktionsarbeit wird vorgestellt: Das Social Service Engineering. Es integriert arbeitswissenschaftliche Gestaltungslösungen mit dem effizienzorientierten Ansatz des Service Engineering. Die Prinzipien des wissenschaftlich fundierten, praktisch erprobten und übertragbaren Social Service Engineering bilden die Grundlage für eine menschengerechte und wirtschaftliche Gestaltung von Interaktionsarbeit.:Inhalt Über dieses Whitepaper Motivation - Herausforderungen bei der Gestaltung von Interaktionsarbeit - Arbeits- und dienstleistungswissenschaftliche Sicht auf Interaktionsarbeit - Gute Dienstleistungen bei guter Arbeit Stand der Forschung von Arbeits- und Dienstleistungswissenschaft - Selbstverständnis von Arbeitswissenschaft und Dienstleistungswissenschaft - Interaktionsarbeit als Aspekt von Dienstleistungen - Besonderheiten der Dienstleistungen Pflege und Kinderbetreuung - Technik und Digitalisierung bei der Gestaltung von Dienstleistungen Förderlandschaft Dienstleistungsgestaltung Methoden zur Gestaltung von Interaktionsarbeit - Expert:innenworkshop „Systematisch Human – Die Zukunft der Gestaltung von Interaktionsarbeit“ - Methodenzusammenstellung für Interaktionsarbeit Prinzipien des Social Service Engineering Ausblick für die Gestaltung von Interaktionsarbeit Impressum Literaturverzeichnis

This investigation identifies how CAD models of typical automotive body assemblies could be defined to allow a continuous optimisation of the number of iterations required for the final design and the number of variants on the basis of Parametric Associative Design (PAD) and how methodologies for the development of surfaces, parts and assemblies of the automotive body can be represented and structured for a multiple re-use in a collaborative environment of concept phase of a Product Evolution (Formation) Process (PEP). The standardisation of optimised processes and methodologies and the enhanced interaction between all parties involved in product development could lead to improve product quality and reduce development time and hence expenses. The fundamental principles of PAD, the particular methodologies used in automotive body design and the principles of methodical development and design in general are investigated. The role which automotive body engineers play throughout the activities of the PEP is also investigated. The distribution of design work in concept teams of automotive body development and important methodologies for the design of prismatic profile areas is critically analysed. To address the role and distribution of work, 25 group work projects were carried out in cooperation with the automotive industry. Large assemblies of the automotive bodies were developed. The requirements for distributed design work have been identified and improved. The results of the investigation point towards a file based, well structured administration of a concept design, with a zone based approach. The investigation was extended to the process chain of sections, which are used for development of surfaces, parts and assemblies. Important methods were developed, optimised and validated with regard to an update safe re-use of 3D zone based CAD models instead of 2D sections. The thesis presents a thorough description of the research undertaken, details the experimental results and provides a comprehensive analysis of them. Finally it proposes a unique methodology to a zone based approach with a clearly defined process chain of sections for an update-safe re-use of design models.