socjotechniki

Socjotechniki is a Polish term used to describe practices and the study of the interaction between society and technology. The concept encompasses both the design and management of social systems that are enabled by or integrated with technological tools, and the ways human behavior shapes the development and use of those tools. In organizational and information contexts, socjotechniki draws on sociology, psychology, and ergonomics to improve processes, workflows, user experiences, governance, and change management.

Two common usage domains are recognized. First, sociotechnical design and management, where practitioners analyze social roles, communication patterns, and institutional structures to create efficient, resilient systems. Second, in information security, socjotechniki is often equated with social engineering: techniques that influence individuals to reveal passwords, grant access, or perform unsafe actions, exploiting trust, authority, or persuasion.

Ethics and risk are central. Because the same skills that enable legitimate system design can be misused to manipulate people, professional practice emphasizes consent, transparency, accountability, and protective measures such as security awareness and policy development. Methods include stakeholder interviews, field observation, surveys, modeling of social processes, and risk assessment within technology deployments.

See also: Sociotechnical systems; social engineering; organizational development; usability. Note this article uses the term in a general sense; local usage may vary.