Open AccessIntegrating Organizational and Design Perspectives to Address Challenges of Renewal: A case study of NASA's post‐shuttle workforce transition
Author(s) -
AIKEN JO
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
ethnographic praxis in industry conference proceedings
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1559-8918
pISSN - 1559-890X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1559-8918.2012.00018.x
Subject(s) - workforce , agency (philosophy) , space shuttle , organizational architecture , organizational structure , space (punctuation) , organizational change , public relations , engineering , business , knowledge management , management , sociology , political science , systems engineering , computer science , social science , law , economics , aerospace engineering , operating system
As organizations become increasingly complex and technology‐dependent, likewise their challenges become increasingly complex and technology‐driven. In the practice of organizational and design ethnography, the elements of organization and technology design overlap. However, a need remains for an explicit framework to deal with the complex challenges of innovation and change faced by contemporary organizations. This need is evident in a case study of NASA's workforce transition as a result of the space shuttle's retirement. NASA's challenge is both organizational and technological – the end of the Space Shuttle Program left the agency without a clear replacement vehicle and the risk of losing an experienced, expert workforce. An integrated organizational and design approach could foster an environment of renewal by involving stakeholders at all levels of the agency and adopting a future‐oriented approach to anticipating change.