ICT and Organisation

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ICT and Organisation

• IN460 April 25th 2005
• Margunn Aanestad

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Core topic of the IS field

• Research in the information systems field
  examines more than just the technological system,
  or just the social system, or even the two
  systems side by side in addition, it
  investigates the phenomena that emerge when the
  two interact.
• (Allan Lee, MISQ Editorial, vol. 25, no. 1,
  2001, p. iii).

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• I propose that it be considered as one kind
  of structural property of organizations
  developing and/or using technology. That is,
  technology embodies and hence is an instantiation
  of some of the rules and resources constituting
  the structure of an organization.
• (Orlikowski, 1992, p. 405)

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Inscriptions

• Designers thus define actors with specific
  tastes, competences, motives, aspirations,
  political prejudices, and the rest, and they
  assume that morality, technology, science and
  economy will evolve in particular ways. A large
  part of the work of innovators is that of
  inscribing this vision (or prediction about)
  the world in the technical content of the new
  object. (Akrich, 1992, p. 208)

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The Practice Lens

• While a technology can be seen to embody
  particular symbolic and material properties, it
  does not embody structures because those are only
  instantiated in practice. Seen through a
  practice lens, technology structures are
  emergent, not embodied. (Orlikowski, 2000, p.
  407)
• A practice-oriented augmentation of the theory
• Embodied structure is problematic, replace with
  emergent structure
• Appropriation should be complemented with
  enactment
• Technology as artifact technology-in-practice

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Actor-network Theory

• Heterogeneous actor-networks as unit of analysis
• Laboratory studies stabilisation of scientific
  facts, technologies. Negotiations, translations,
  alliance-building.
• From immutable mobiles ot mutable mobiles (Laet
  and Mol).
• Messiness, multiplicity

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Additional readings

• Wanda Orlikowski Using technology and
  constituting structures A practice lens for
  studying technology in organizations.
  Organization Science, vol 11, no 4, 2000, p.
  404-428.
• Marianne de Laet and Annemarie Mol The Zimbabwe
  Bush Pump Mechanics of a Fluid Technology.
  Social Studies of Science, vol. 30, no. 2, April
  2000, p. 225-263.
• John Law and Vicky Singleton (2005) Object
  lessons, Organization, 12(3)331-355