Overview

This reader contains contributions referring to one of the most urgent problems in systems design: the effects of computerization on human work and approaches to ameliorate systems design in order to create better conditions for living human work in a computerized world. Of course the choice of papers has been operated somewhat arbitrarily. It primarily reflects the work of IFIP's Working Group 9.1. "Compu- ters and Work" and of some of its members. The papers were compiled aiming at focussing on very material pro- blems in the field of "Computers and Work". They substantively re- flect in several points the discussions and the concern of the Wor- king Group. Some conclusions from a series of workshops held from 1980 onward by the Working Group are likewise contained and directed to the IFIP community and to other parties concerned. The reader inserts itself into a rather extended line of activities of the Working Group: in addition to contributions to the two IFIP Working Conferences on Human Choice and Computers held in 1974 and in 1979 (proceedings published by North Holland) a recent IFIP Wor- king Conference on Systems Design For, With and By the Users (held in September 82, proceedings published in March 83 by North Holland) and a joint TC3/TC9 Working Conference on Education for Systems De- signer/User Co-operation (proceedings to be published by end 84).