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The Technological Foundations of Task-Coordinating Structures in New Work Organizations

Theoretical Notes from the Case of Abdominal Surgery

State University of New York at Albany

The significance of the movement to decentralize workplace authority is hotly debated. Drawing from a case study of the impact of video technology on surgical work, this article provides conceptual clarity to the debate by specifying the technological determinants of two distinct task-coordinating structures found in decentralized work units. The first involves unilateral control by the dominant actor in the work team. It is effective when tasks are segmented and when coordination occurs in a natural, face-to-face context. The second structure involves the formation of teams with particularistic, group-based coordination skills. This team-based structure is demanded when outputs are produced collectively in tightly coupled units, and the task unit coordinates its collective actions through complex information-mediating technology.

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