LINGUIST List 10.1254

Sat Aug 28 1999

Calls: The 2nd Organisational Semiotics Workshop

Editor for this issue: Karen Milligan <karenlinguistlist.org>

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1. alan harris, SEMCOM:The 2nd Organisational Semiotics Workshop

CALL FOR Participation
The 2nd Organisational Semiotics Workshop 
"Study of Organised Behaviour Using Concepts and Methods of Semiotics"

Location: Almelo, The Netherlands
Dates: 12 - 14 October, 1999
 (shortly after the two semiotic conferences in Dresden)

After the first international workshop at Twente in 1995, a research
community of organisational semiotics has formed. This community has
committed themselves to inquiries in information and its use within
organisational contexts. The broad issues that concern community are
philosophical, social and technical, and are encouraged to tackle using
semiotic concepts and methods from an organisational perspective. 

Other expressions, such as "Computer Semiotics", "Organisational
Engineering" or "Language Action Approach to IS" and so on identify similar
areas of study, but the choice of terminology to characterise this
important domain is not an issue. The common purpose is to treat
organisations and their IT applications within a unified and scientific
framework, with particular reference to the huge range of issues that elude
the institutionally established disciplines. 

Computer science does not concern itself with the human issues. The social
study of IT impacts does not address the fine details of how information
functions within and between organisations. The analysis and design of
information systems develops methods for solving the practical problems
preceding software engineering but offers no scientific foundation for
them. Those disciplines are not appropriate for addressing many of the
problems caused by the rapid growth of global communications with its
effects on business, government, the economy and politics. A semiotic
perspective can accommodate the individual and the social, the human and
the technical, intra-firm and inter-firm interactions, at a level of detail
that opens up the prospect for scientific theory building. Can a semiotics
of organised behaviour provide the necessary insight?

The workshop will achieve the following objectives:
 - bring together those interested in the theme to facilitate their
 future collaboration;
 - discuss future activities and possible institutional arrangements;
 - assemble materials to support the development of the subject;
 - publish the proceedings;
 - compile a CD-ROM of source materials to help in developing courses
 and research on organisational semiotics.

Programme committee:
Kecheng Liu (chair) - University of Staffordshire, GB 
Peter Andersen - University of Aahus, DK
Rodney Clarke - University of Wollongong, AU
Jan Dietz - University of Delft, NL
Marc Hafkamp - University of Twente, N
Ronald Stamper - University of Twente, NL
Etc. etc.. 


Workshop Secretary: Samuel Chong, cmryccsoc.staffs.ac.uk
Organising committee: Katrien Hendriks, Lennard Meijerse, Omar Ghalloudi
and Michael Jarmohamed, all from University of Twnte,
semiotics99hotmail.com

Important dates:
- Express interest of attendance by 15 August.
- Abstract submission to the workshop secretary (maximum 500 words,
preferably by email) by 10 September 1999.
- Detailed instructions for attendance sent by the organising
committee by 17 September 1999.

More information can be found at:
http://www.soc.staffs.ac.uk/research/groups/semiotics99/index.html