| Advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) is a system of operator tasks and computerized machinery that executes and controls the production process. As organizations develop and integrate innovative social and technical configurations, AMT design impacts the work of individuals, the competitiveness of organizations, and the welfare of society. In their attempts to keep pace with and comprehend these dramatic changes, researchers have examined AMT design from alternate paradigms or worldviews. This diversity potentially enriches our understanding, however, differing language and theoretical assumptions inhibit research comparisons across paradigms. The result is an extensive body of literature, frequently criticized as fragmented, ambiguous, and contradictory.;The catalysts of this dissertation were substantive and theoretical, driven by a desire to understand the complexity of AMT design and the multiple paradigms researchers have employed to examine it. As multiparadigm theory development processes are rare, the dissertation began with the construction of a rigorous methodology, termed Iterative Triangulation. The basic procedure consisted of four steps: (1) deconstructing and reconstructing technology literature for multiple paradigm understanding; (2) developing a diverse sampling frame of existing AMT design case studies (nearly 100 cases) and a subsequent theoretical sample (23 case sites); (3) employing paradigm-specific inductive methods to develop alternate accounts of AMT design; and (4) conducting mental experiments (i.e., iterating between paradigm accounts, reviewed literature, and intuition) to make the creative leap to a metaparadigm theory.;Developing separate paradigm accounts of AMT design accentuated their provision of distinctive and valuable perspectives. Juxtaposing accounts revealed a common theme of paradox--the simultaneous presence of contradictory elements. Actors' attempts to eliminate or relieve the discomfort of paradoxical tensions often triggered vicious cycles of rigidity, control, and domination. The resulting metaparadigm theory depicted AMT design as a cyclical process marked by three interconnected paradoxes--ideological, action, and institutional--that continuously reinforce or reproduce existing understandings and power asymmetries. While paradigms provided alternate perspectives and explanations, the metaparadigm theory tapped their distinctions and interconnectedness, facilitating comprehensive understanding. |
