Includes index

As computers become more & more integral to business & other organizational operations around the world, software design must increasingly meet the social demands of the workplace. This text provides an informative, cogent examination of how various social factors - such as organizational structure, workplace relations, & market conditions - together shape software developers' technical design decisions. Through a survey of major software companies & in-depth case studies of the banking, hospital, & equipment field service industries, the authors identify factors that influence specific design strategies & examine the significant consequences that engineering decisions have on users' work, workplace quality of life, & opportunities for autonomy & skill development