6. Suits and Geeks
Live in different worlds
Use different language
Often seek different rewards
Have different cultural norms
View risk differently
Are mutually dependent on each other
7. The Problem Statement
According to Claudio Ciborra[9] among others, Information
Systems failures are mostly caused by the inability of our
current methods to identify and analyse the complex Social-
Technical issues that have to be addressed in order to be
successful. [VPEC-T Wikipedia]
12. The Core Issue is Lack of Trust
Relationship and task trust
3 scenarios for proposal approval
Gaming the system
Who do you trust?
People that are “like you”; common social identity
Low trust trading; an environment of fear
The Moors and gold miners of Africa
Common Ground
What are the geeks’ weapons?
17. VPEC-T
The terms Values, Policy, Events, Content and Trust are the
principle means through which communication concerning a
topic is viewed. Ensuring that these dimensions are all
considered, while avoiding technological issues at an early
stage helps to create a balanced and complete view of the
system
Of necessity the language of business users of an
information system embraces ambiguity, tacit knowledge
and willingness to change: Business must operate in the
environment of a constantly changing market. Of necessity
the language of the IT function embraces high specification,
certainty and avoidance of change: The IT function must
minimize change to systems that require cost, time and risk
to implement.[5]
20. Finding Common Ground Builds Trust
Find common interests other than work to build stronger
relationships
Based on honesty, benevolence, fairness
Do you really have their best interests in mind, taken to heart?
Confidence vs. competence
Easier to forgive incompetence than a lack of benevolence or honesty
Geeks focus on competence and may not be benevolent to the suits
Other constructs, frequently discussed together with trust,
are: control, confidence, risk, meaning and power.