Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Identity: Avenues for Holistic Socio-technical Innovation

Abstract

Technology changes human work in dramatic ways, but rarely is technology development conducted with prospective work design in mind. Interdisciplinary collaboration helps to foster more holistic perspectives on technological innovation which may also benefit work design. To examine this supposition, we conducted a field study in a large interdisciplinary research center for digital fabrication in architecture, engineering, and construction. Based on two rounds of interviews 1.5 years apart (N=32), we traced the development of researchers' design mindsets and examined drivers for this development, finding that the experience of interdisciplinary collaboration challenged professional identities and broadened mindsets to become more holistic and impact-aware. However, we also found that work design was mentioned only when explicitly prompted for even by interviewees with high impact awareness. The broadening of design mindsets may be considered an important first step towards more integral socio-technical innovation, which needs to be taken further by introducing specific measures such as those the interviewees proposed themselves, e.g., including an ""integrator"" in each project team. We discuss the theoretical and practical implications of our findings and emphasize the need to support technology developers both with integrative design methods and with team-based interventions to enhance interdisciplinary mindsets and team reflexivity.