Reading in organization theory with IT focus

Annals of Medicine

The Checklist

Atul Gawande 2007/12/10

article about checklists in intensive medicine, and about the importance of system design more generally. Checklists are incredibly effective in providing better care, because even highly trained doctors forget little seemingly non-important things that can have a huge effect on outcomes. This article is one of a few things (the IT article too) that are making me realize that I won't be able to develop an adequate model of institutions without including stigmergy. Well written (its a New Yorker article). The article betrays some cynicism and skepticism that these approaches will ever be recognized enough to be implemented as widely as they should. The argument is that medicien gets a ton of money, but delivery gets almost none.

NEJM

A Surgical Safety Checklist to Reduce Morbidity and Mortality in a Global Population

This is a followup, that was most likely assigned as a signal that the above concern is no concern. This article is on a study covering hospitals around the world, appying the checklists above to surgery saftey and reporting effectiveness (though somewhat diminishing returns)

How IT makes johnny More Productive

Computerworld A summary of another article assigned for the class about the role of IT in corporate productivity

The proper article was simultaneously boring and fascinating, it is the kind of basic level research that I am very glad I will never have to do, and am happy to be able to read. Argument is that IT and the appropriate human systems built around them, leads to corporations that decentralie decision making (with all lthe advantages of that) and thereby increase their capacity to survive in This Crazy World.

What makes a car American

CNN 12/12/08. Article about the complexity of car manufacturing and the arbitrariness of Made in America. Toyota has almost more American employees manufacturing American cars than any of the Big Three. They, in turn, do most of their assembly and other parts in Mexico or other countries. Made in America is a sticker that car companies can buy. Big Three have a thinktank that argues against this conclusion with somewhat arcane arguments about R&D and other small points. There is propaganda in Georgia guiltripping people into buying american.