Work is a fundamental part of social life. Through work, people produce goods and services, develop skills, build relationships, and contribute to organizations and society. At the same time, work is continuously shaped by technological change.
A sociotechnical perspective views work as emerging through the interaction of people, technologies, organizations, and institutions. Rather than treating technology as something that simply determines how work is performed, this perspective examines how technologies and work practices shape one another over time.

Today, work is increasingly mediated by digital technologies. Artificial intelligence, platforms, and information systems influence how tasks are organized, coordinated, and evaluated. These developments create new opportunities, but also raise questions about autonomy, expertise, inclusion, responsibility, and power.

A sociotechnical perspective helps us understand these dynamics. It draws attention to:

• How technologies (re)shape work practices, decision-making, and collaboration
• How workers adapt, negotiate, and repurpose technologies in everyday work
• How the consequences of technological change are distributed across different groups of workers

This perspective also highlights that technology implementation is rarely a straightforward process. New technologies are interpreted, resisted, modified, and integrated into existing practices in ways that cannot be fully predicted in advance.

For example:

• Digital systems often transform how information is shared, documented, and coordinated across organizations. At the same time, workers develop new routines and workarounds that influence how these systems function in practice.
• Artificial intelligence can support decision-making, automate tasks, or generate new forms of knowledge. Yet the value and consequences of these technologies depend on how they are integrated into existing work processes and professional practices.

By studying work from a sociotechnical perspective, we gain insight into how technologies shape working life and how people shape technologies through their everyday use. Understanding these interactions helps us better understand ongoing transformations of work in a digital society.