Mobile technology in mobile work: contradictions and congruencies in activity systems

Abstract

Mobile technology and the information and communication services supported by it have become increasingly embedded in, and in some cases transformed, work and social activity and created new challenges for studying information systems. This paper focuses on the experience with mobile technology in an inherently mobile and information intensive work activity -policing. Drawing upon data from this context this paper makes two key sets of contributions. Empirically, we illuminate the congruencies and contradictions between mobile technology and mobile working, and the relationship between the two, revealing a state of change based upon dialectic interaction. We highlight several ways in which mobile technology has changed the nature of mobile work activity. Theoretically we advance the use of activity theory to better understand the changes of mobile technology mediated work. We extend traditional use of activity theory by adopting congruencies as an analytical lens, in addition to the approach of examining contradictions. The findings are applicable to other areas of mobile work and contribute to the body of knowledge concerning mobile technology mediated work.

Avocados crossing borders: The problem of runaway objects and the solution of a shipping information pipeline for improving international trade

“…Activity theory research in IS (Allen, Brown, Karanasios, & Norman, ; Allen, Karanasios, & Slavova, ; Hasan, Kazluaskas, & Crawford, ; Karanasios & Allen, , ; Kuutti, ; Kuutti, ) has predominantly focused on delineation (Engeström, ) of either the narrow phenomena of mediated interaction between (1) the human actor (the subject) and the world (the object) or (2) the networked phenomena of multiple, densely connected actors directly interacting across system limits sharing a boundary object or network object (Engeström, ; Spinuzzi, ), which Engeström () termed Third Generation AT. We have found it particularly relevant to use AT for our analysis of containerized shipping in the heterogeneus domain of international trade where shipments (as objects) are shipped (transformed) across multiple national borders and organizational boundaries that vary from shipment to shipment.…”

How Do Project-related Artefacts Qualify for Bridging Boundaries in IS Implementation Projects _ An Activity Theoretical Perspective

“…To increase understanding of organizational changes, AT and its concept of activity systems and contradictions as driver of change receives growing attention in IS research [39,42,43]. Inspired by these…”

Information Systems Journal Special Issue on: Activity Theory in Information Systems Research

“…Mirroring its use and acceptance in other social science fields, there has been some development and exploration of Activity Theory in IS (Bertelsen & Bødker ; Crawford & Hasan ). In IS the focus of research has taken on several distinct paths: (i) understanding technology mediated change in organisational settings, contradictions arising from the introduction of IS, organisational learning and transformation of work (Karanasios & Allen, ; Kuutti, ; Ryu et al, ); (ii) framing studies on the patterns of use of IS (Karanasios & Allen, ; Wiredu & Sørensen, ); and, (iii) informing and guiding systems development (Chen et al, ; Korpela et al, ).…”