IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/scaman/v8y1992i2p113-132.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

The significations of machines

Author

Listed:
  • Kallinikos, Jannis

Abstract

The article discusses the trade-off between standardization and choice as a central issue that permeates the entire range of questions relating to the instrumental ability of contemporary organizations and institutions. Within this broad context the machine is seen as the main instrument and embodiment of standardization, and the notion of organization as largely consubstantial with the forms assumed by man-machine interaction. An attempt is thus made to open up and deconstruct the physical device known as the machine and to "read" the recurrent means-ends sequences and significations embedded in it. The transition from the tool to the industrial machine, and thence to the automaton and the digital machine is seen as providing the overall trajectory along which the restructuring of man-machine interaction takes place. Given the central position occupied by the digital machine, and the mystification that seems to surround it, much of the article is concerned with the understanding and assessment of this artefact.

Suggested Citation

  • Kallinikos, Jannis, 1992. "The significations of machines," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 8(2), pages 113-132, June.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:8:y:1992:i:2:p:113-132
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/095652219290020F
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:scaman:v:8:y:1992:i:2:p:113-132. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/872/description#description .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.