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Sociotechnical systems (STS) was developed in the 1950s, driven by the action research philosophy. The concept of sociotechnical systems is generally traced to a study of social and psychological changes in work groups that occurred during a transition to more mechanized (versus manual) methods of extracting coal. The technological system consists of not just information technology as we might think of it today, but the skills, knowledge, procedures, and tools that employees use to do their jobs.

The social system consists of the relationships between coworkers and supervisors, communication and information flow, values and attitudes, and motivation. An important principle of STS is that of joint optimization, which explains that an organization will function optimally only if the social and technological systems are designed to fit the demands of each other and the environment.

One method by which joint optimization can be achieved is through an autonomous work group, where members have some degree of ownership, control, and responsibility for the tasks that need to be performed. To jointly optimize both the social and technical systems of the organization requires an understanding of several factors. The social processes that occur in organizations and the variety of theories and methods that exist to make more efficient use of human resources.