@proceedings {9999, title = {Impacts of the Use of Machine Learning on Work Design}, year = {2020}, month = {11/2020}, publisher = {ACM}, address = {Virtual Event, NSW, Australia}, abstract = {

The increased pervasiveness of technological advancements in automation makes it urgent to address the question of how work is changing in response. Focusing on applications of machine learning (ML) to automate information tasks, we draw on a simple framework for identifying the impacts of an automated system on a task that suggests 3 patterns for the use of ML{\textemdash}decision support, blended decision making and complete automation. In this paper, we extend this framework by considering how automation of one task might have implications for interdependent tasks and how automation applies to coordination mechanisms.

}, keywords = {artificial intelligence, automation, Coordination, machine learning, work design}, isbn = {978-1-4503-8054-6/20/11}, doi = {10.1145/3406499.3415070}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Impacts_of_ML_for_HAI_2020.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Bolici, Francesco} } @proceedings {9999, title = {Impacts of machine learning on work}, year = {2019}, address = {Wailea, HI}, abstract = {

The increased pervasiveness of technological advancements in automation makes it urgent to address the question of how work is changing in response. Focusing on applications of machine learning (ML) that automate information tasks, we present a simple framework for identifying the impacts of an automated system on a task. From an analysis of popular press articles about ML, we develop 3 patterns for the use of ML--decision support, blended decision making and complete automation--with implications for the kinds of tasks and systems. We further consider how automation of one task might have implications for other interdependent tasks. Our main conclusion is that designers have a range of options for systems and that automation of tasks is not the same as automation of work.

}, keywords = {artificial intelligence, automation, machine learning, work design}, doi = {10.24251/HICSS.2019.719}, url = { http://hdl.handle.net/10125/60031}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Impacts_of_machine_learning_on_work__revision_.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Bolici, Francesco} } @article {2017, title = {Work~features to support stigmergic coordination in distributed teams}, year = {2017}, type = {Interactive paper}, abstract = {

When work products are shared via a computer system, members of distributed teams can see the work products produced by remote colleagues as easily as those from local colleagues. Drawing on coordination theory and work in computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), we theorize that these work products can provide information to support team coordination, that is, that work can be coordinated through the outcome of the work itself, a mode of coordination analogous to the biological process of stigmergy. Based on studies of documents and work, we postulate three features of work products that enable them to support team coordination, namely having a clear genre, being visible and mobile, and being combinable. These claims are illustrated with examples drawn from free/libre open source software development teams. We conclude by discussing how the proposed theory might be empirically tested.

}, keywords = {Coordination, Stigmergy}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Stigmergy\%20theory\%20paper\%20to\%20share.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and James Howison and Bolici, Francesco and Carsten {\O}sterlund} } @article {9998, title = {Stigmergic coordination in FLOSS development teams: Integrating explicit and implicit mechanisms}, journal = {Cognitive Systems Research}, volume = {38}, year = {2016}, pages = {14{\textendash}22}, keywords = {Coordination, Stigmergy}, doi = {10.1016/j.cogsys.2015.12.003}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/COGSYS-RS-\%28HHS\%29-\%282015\%29-\%283\%29.pdf}, author = {Bolici, Francesco and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @conference {2011, title = {Work as coordination and coordination as work: A process perspective on FLOSS development projects}, booktitle = {Third International Symposium on Process Organization Studies}, year = {2011}, month = {6/2011}, address = {Corfu, Greece}, url = {http://www.process-symposium.com/}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/PROS-134.pdf}, author = {Kevin Crowston and Carsten {\O}sterlund and James Howison and Bolici, Francesco} } @article {2010, title = {The under-appreciated role of stigmergic coordination in software development}, year = {2010}, abstract = {

Coordination in software development teams has been a topic of perennial interest in empirical software engineering research. The vast majority of this literature has drawn on a conceptual separation between work and coordination mechanisms, separate from the work itself, which enable groups to achieve coordination. Traditional recommendations and software methods focused on planning: using analysis to predict and manage dependencies. Empirical research has demonstrated the limits of this approach, showing that many important dependencies are emergent and pointing to the persistent importance of explicit discussion to managing these dependencies as they arise. Drawing on work in Computer-Supported Collaborative Work and building from an analogy to collaboration amongst insects (stigmergy), we argue that the work product itself plays an under-appreciated role in helping software developers manage dependencies as they arise. This short paper presents the conceptual argument with empirical illustrations and explains why this mechanism would have significant implications for Software Engineering coordination research. We discuss issues in marshaling clear positive evidence, arguing that these issues are responsible, in part, for the under-consideration of this mechanism in software engineering and outlining research strategies which may overcome these issues.

}, keywords = {Coordination, FLOSS, Stigmergy}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/stigmergy-short.pdf}, author = {Bolici, Francesco and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} } @conference {Bolici:2009, title = {Coordination without discussion? Socio-technical congruence and Stigmergy in Free and Open Source Software projects}, booktitle = {2nd International Workshop on Socio-Technical Congruence, ICSE}, year = {2009}, month = {19 May}, address = {Vancouver, Canada}, keywords = {Coordination, FLOSS}, url = {http://docs.google.com/View?id=dhncd3jd_405fzt842gv}, attachments = {https://crowston.syr.edu/sites/crowston.syr.edu/files/Coordination\%20without\%20discussion\%3F\%20Socio-technical\%20congruence.pdf}, author = {Bolici, Francesco and James Howison and Kevin Crowston} }