Beyond Boundary Objects: Collaborative Reuse in Aircraft Technical Support

Boundary objects are a critical, but understudied, theoretical construct in CSCW. Through a field study of aircraft technical support, we examined the role of boundary objects in the practical achievement of safety by service engineers. Their resolution of repair requests was preserved in the organi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Computer supported cooperative work 2007-06, Vol.16 (3), p.341-372
Main Authors: Lutters, Wayne G., Ackerman, Mark S.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aircraft
Computer memory
Negotiations
Technical services
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Summary:Boundary objects are a critical, but understudied, theoretical construct in CSCW. Through a field study of aircraft technical support, we examined the role of boundary objects in the practical achievement of safety by service engineers. Their resolution of repair requests was preserved in the organization’s memory via three compound boundary objects. These crystallizations did not manifest a static interpretation, but instead were continually reinterpreted in light of meta-negotiations. This suggests design implications for organizational memory systems which can more fluidly represent the meta-negotiations surrounding boundary objects.
ISSN:0925-9724
1573-7551
DOI:10.1007/s10606-006-9036-x