Activity Theory is increasingly employed in Information Systems research because of its ability to provide insights into the outcomes of human‐technology interaction. At the heart of the modern Activity Theory is the principle of contradictions; contradictions are considered to be the driving force behind the transformation of tool‐mediated human activities within organizations and communities. The study examined the facilitated adoption of Accounting Information Systems by microenterprises in a low‐income community in South Africa. Using the study, this paper demonstrates the potential and value of leveraging both strengths and contradictions in activity systems. Although identifying and resolving contradictions is crucial to the development of human activity, in the context of this research a limitation was identified. In studying relationships between the elements of an activity or between activities, researchers using Activity Theory do not generally highlight the strong relationships. The inclusion of strengths in the analysis of activity systems is a feature that could be utilised by Activity Theorists where there is a need to assess the viability of the activity under examination. Though the paper emphasises a theoretical contribution, the study itself had a practical contribution based on the use of Activity Theory as a Participatory Action Research to empower the subjects (entrepreneurs) within the community.
Activity Theory is used in this paper to demonstrate the process of critical analysis of qualitative data from two case studies. The paper explains the elements of an activity system (the subject, object, outcome, mediating tools, rules, community and division of labour). Thereafter, practical examples from the work of two recent PhD students are used to show the importance of identifying and analysing activities that are found either in the introduction or the current use of information systems in business organisations. These examples highlight the applicability of Activity Theory in analysing data from projects of interest to Business Management whose topics and contexts are very different. The first focusses on the introduction of an Accounting Information System to microbusinesses in a low‑income community in South Africa and the second focusses on Information Security Management in Mobile Network Organisations in Uganda. The examples illustrate the value of Activity Theory as a lens and as a way of stimulating critical analysis. Activity Theory is known for its ability to identify reasons for failure or disappointing performance in existing situations by highlighting contradictions either between different activities, between an earlier version of an activity and a later version as the activity evolves, or within an activity (between the elements of that activity). However, as shown in the first example, it can also be seen as a useful tool when proposing a new project as a predictor of success. Despite the fact that data is typically qualitative, the analytical process related to Activity Theory can be structured, which assists novice researchers or those unaccustomed to interpretivist analysis to uncover insights that are not immediately obvious. Activity Theory is said to act as a lens in data analysis and is particularly useful in organisational sciences for the theorization of technology‑mediated organizational change.
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