Systems analysts and the politics of organizational control

Newman, Michael; Rosenberg, David

doi:10.1016/0305-0483(85)90067-2

Cited by 52 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 16 publications

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“…Empirical studies adopting this social constructionist view of technology have been done by sociologists of technology [Bijker 1987;Bijker, Hughes and Pinch 1987;Collins 1987;Bijker 1984, 1987;Woolgar 1985;Wynne 1988], and information technology researchers [Boland and Day 1982;Hirschheim, Klein and Newman 1987;Klein and Hirschheim 1983;Newman and Rosenberg 1985]. While usefully demonstrating how meanings around a technology arise and are sustained, this body of rese.Arch tends to downplay the material and structural aspects of interaction with technology.…”

Section: Differences In Rolementioning

confidence: 99%

The Duality of Technology: Rethinking the Concept of Technology in Organizations

Orlikowski

1992

Organization Science

3,218

2,160

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This paper develops a new theoretical model with which to examine the interaction between technology and organizations. Early research studies assumed technology to be an objective, external force that would have deterministic impacts on organizational properties such as structure. Later researchers focused on the human aspect of technology, seeing it as the outcome of strategic choice and social action. This paper suggests that either view is incomplete, and proposes a reconceptualization of technology that takes both perspectives into account. A theoretical model--the structurational model of technology--is built on the basis of this new conceptualization, and its workings explored through discussion of a field study of information technology. The paper suggests that the reformulation of the technology concept and the structurational model of technology allow a deeper and more dialectical understanding of the interaction between technology and organizations. This understanding provides insight into the limits and opportunities of human choice, technology development and use, and organizational design. Implications for future research of the new concept of technology and structurational model of technology are discussed.ii Technology has always been a central variable in organizational theory, informing research and practice. Despite years of investigative effort there is little agreement on the definition and measurement of technology, and no compelling evidence on the precise role of technology in organizational affairs. I will argue that the divergent definitions and opposing perspectives associated with technological research have limited our understanding of how technology interacts with organizations, and that these incompatibilities cannot be resolved by mutual concession. What is needed is a reconstruction of the concept of technology, which fundamentally re-examines our current notions of technology and its role in organizations.In this paper, I undertake such a reconstruction and present a view of technology that draws on Giddens' [1976, 1979, 1984] theory of structuration. My re-examination leads to a model for analyzing the nature and role of technology in organizations, which I term the structurational model of technology. Before proceeding to the premises and components of this model, prior views of technology are reviewed to serve as background and motivation for the alternative proposed here. RETHINKING PRIOR CONCEPTUALIZATIONS OF TECHNOLOGYPrior conceptualizations of technology have each focused selectively on some aspects of technology, at the expense of others, with the result that the current state of knowledge about technology in organizations is ambiguous and conflicting [Attewell and F ile 1986;Barley 1990;Davis and Taylor 1986;Hartmann et al. 1986;Scott 1981]. Two important aspects of the technology concept are scope--what is defined as comprising technology, and role--how is the interaction between technology and organizations defined. Both these aspects inform prior technologi...

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Section: Differences In Rolementioning

confidence: 99%

The Duality of Technology: Rethinking the Concept of Technology in Organizations

Orlikowski

1992

Organization Science

3,218

2,160

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…System success depends not only on technical attributes of the IS but also on personal and social attributes (attitudes and understanding) of the individuals. The IS relevance is that organizational communication (Yates & Orlikowski, 1992), power shifts within the organization (Curtis et al, 1988;Orlikowski, 1989), training (Newman & Rosenberg, 1985), conflict resolution (Robey & Farrow, 1982;Robey et al, 1993), history of support (Pettigrew, 1973), organizational responsibility (Walsham, 1993;Boland & Day, 1989), accountability (Franz & Robey, 1984) and enabling of change (Dagwell & Weber, 1983) become important between business and IS staff. Orlikowski (1989) has provided one of the most exhaustive lists of organizational factors affecting IS development and implementation.…”

Section: Organizational Powermentioning

confidence: 98%

Divisive and integrative political strategies in the IS adaptation process: the MAC Initiative

Sillince

Mouakket

1998

European Journal of Information Systems

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The MAC Initiative project is described as seen through the eyes of users at one university. These subjective interpretations are described in terms of five different assumptions about politics and power. We show that information system users and developers hold multiple perspectives of events and switch between them in order to empathise with others, and that it is this perspective switching which enables them to behave coherently. One advantage of this ability to switch perspectives is shown by the software developer's ability to switch from a 'zero sum' perspective (a divisive political strategy) to a 'socially shaped' perspective (an integrative political strategy) as a means of managing the adaptation process.

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“…New information system's influence on the organization, its power structures and resistance to change in IS projects, have been researched amongst others by Keen (1981), Markus (1983), Markus and Pfeffer (1983) and Newman and Rosenberg (1985). Von Hellens, Nielsen and Beekhuyzen (2005) conducted a qualitative case study on power and politics in an ERP implementation.…”

Section: Survey and Relevance Of The Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

ERP Project’s Internal Stakeholder Network and How It Influences the Project’s Outcome

Jääskelainen

Pau

2009

SSRN Journal

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So far little effort has been put into researching the importance of internal ERP project stakeholders' mutual interactions, realizing the project's complexity, influence on the whole organization, and high risk for a useful final outcome. This research analyzes the stakeholders' interactions and positions in the project network, their criticality, potential bottlenecks and conflicts. The main methods used are Social Network Analysis, and the elicitation of drivers for the individual players. Information was collected from several stakeholders from three large ERP projects all in global companies headquartered in Finland, together with representatives from two different ERP vendors, and with two experienced ERP consultants. The analysis gives quantitative as well as qualitative characterization of stakeholder criticality (mostly the Project Manager(s), the Business Owner(s) and the Process Owner(s)) , degree of centrality, closeness , mediating or bottleneck roles, relational ties and conflicts (individual, besides those between business and project organizations) , and clique formations. A generic internal stakeholder network model is established as well as the criticality of the project phases. The results are summarized in the form of a list of recommendations for future ERP projects to address the internal stakeholder impacts .Project management should utilize the latest technology to provide tools to increase the interaction between the stakeholders and to monitor the strength of these relations. Social network analysis tools could be used in the projects to visualize the stakeholder relations in order to better understand the possible risks related to the relations (or lack of them).

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Systems analysts and the politics of organizational control

Cited by 52 publications

References 16 publications

The Duality of Technology: Rethinking the Concept of Technology in Organizations

The Duality of Technology: Rethinking the Concept of Technology in Organizations

Divisive and integrative political strategies in the IS adaptation process: the MAC Initiative

ERP Project’s Internal Stakeholder Network and How It Influences the Project’s Outcome

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