Overview

Computer supported cooperative work is often discussed with the focus on the computer, and consequently less emphasis is put on support for cooperative work. By comparing system development and nursing, two cooperative work settings, we have found that overview — over work tasks, responsibilities and work objects — is an important aspect of work in both these occupations. Although overview, as a general and abstract notion, is important for both system developers and nurses, its concrete contents varies considerably, due to differences in work tasks, work organization, and tradition. If computer systems represent an obstacle for achieving overview, they do not support cooperative work. Thus, computer systems can only support cooperative work to the extent they can be integrated in the existing information web that contributes to the achievement of overview in concrete work contexts.