Organisational semiotics examines the nature, characteristics and features of
information
Information is an abstract concept that refers to that which has the power to inform. At the most fundamental level information pertains to the interpretation of that which may be sensed. Any natural process that is not completely random ...
, and studies how information can be best used in the context of organised activities and business domains. Organisational semiotics treats organisations as
information systems
An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, store, and distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems are composed by four components: task, people ...
in which information is created, processed, distributed, stored and used. It benefits from the research of
semiotics
Semiotics (also called semiotic studies) is the systematic study of sign processes ( semiosis) and meaning making. Semiosis is any activity, conduct, or process that involves signs, where a sign is defined as anything that communicates something ...
in various schools, and further develops its theoretical frameworks, methods and techniques for understanding, analysing, modelling, designing and implementing of information systems.
History
Organizational semiotics started around 1973 with
Ronald Stamper’s seminal book on Information (Stamper, 1973), a book that was intended to be the first chapter of a book on information systems design called ‘organizational semiotics’.
Featured as an interdisciplinary undertaking, researchers working in the community of organisational semiotics come from different backgrounds and work together on the theoretical and practical issues relating to organisational and technical problems. From the first international meeting on organisational semiotics in 1995, the community aims to develop the subject into a science of information systems, as claimed at the IFIP 8.1 Working Conference. The International Conference on Informatics and Semiotics in Organisations is the flagship conference of the community of which
Kecheng Liu and the Informatics Research Centre
[ Informatics Research Centre, Henley Business School, University of Readin]
/ref> have been convening over the past years.
See also
*Informatics (academic field)
Informatics is the study of computational systems, especially those for data storage and retrieval. According to ACM ''Europe and'' '' Informatics Europe'', informatics is synonymous with computer science and computing as a profession, in which t ...
*Information Systems
An information system (IS) is a formal, sociotechnical, organizational system designed to collect, process, store, and distribute information. From a sociotechnical perspective, information systems are composed by four components: task, people ...
* Information management
References
External links
* rganisational Semiotics Community Homeneed updated address
Organisational semiotics at the University of Reading
Organizational theory
Semiotics
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