Beyond mutual intelligibility

collective activity as a transaction. A contribution of pragmatism illustrated by three case

Abstract

Interactions are at the center of the main sociological approaches to work. Some lines of research have been responsible for cooperative interactions that include immeasurable perspectives. But in this paper we argue that the notion of interaction needs to be extended to the notion of transaction, deeply rooted in the American pragmatic tradition. Switching from interaction to transaction allows the study of a wide range of situations without mutual intelligibility. The main feature is the coexistence of cooperation and entirely asymmetrical perspectives, not just for a transitional moment in the process of exchanging perspectives, but as a stabilized configuration. Such contexts mean coming to terms with components of long, unnoticed but increasingly current work environments. To understand these unique forms of coordination with minimal interaction, we need to consider the role of digital artifacts, third party participants, and personal rhythms. This work is based on three studies conducted in different organizational settings: a telephone traffic control center, a pediatric emergency room, and online workplace games. Where collective activity does not mean mutual intelligibility, analysis turns to the various forms of life developed in the work process, the intermittent encounters between each other's unconscious commitments and the workers confronted with their multiple spaces of activity.