Systems Perspectives on the Interaction Between Human and Technological Resources

Abstract

Along with the development of digitalization, it has become apparent that focusing on technology is not enough, but the crucial issue is how to link together technological and human resources. Systems thinking is needed to understand the interdependencies resulting from these linkages at different levels: in activity systems at the micro-level, in networks and ecosystems at the meso-level, and in the institutional setup that supports and regulates the development at the macro-level. In this chapter, we analyze these interdependencies in more detail. As a starting point for these analyses, we point out basic principles of systems thinking and present central benefits of the application of this thinking. We also consider the highly dynamic nature of the development of digitalization: we examine how the systems perspective can be applied in the conditions of change. A central message throughout is the view that the value of a specific resource depends on its relation to other resources.