IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/inm/ororsc/v18y2007i5p813-831.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Activating the Informational Capabilities of Information Technology for Organizational Change

Author

Listed:
  • Paul M. Leonardi

    (Department of Communication Studies and Department of Industrial Engineering/Management Sciences, Northwestern University, 2240 Campus Drive, Evanston, Illinois 60208)

Abstract

This paper considers how the information enabled by information technology (IT) is implicated in organizational action. It begins by proposing that the relationship between technology appropriations and an organization's informal advice networks is one useful way to understand how the information that is created, modified, transmitted, and stored through the use of IT can lead to organizational change. I then present the findings of an ethnographic study of the implementation and use of a new information technology service management (ITSM) tool in a large IT organization. The findings show that a number of discrepant events led technicians to appropriate the material features of the technology in certain ways, thus providing them with new and different kinds of information than was available to them previously. Armed with such information, technicians began to seek advice differently than they had before, which led to an overall transformation in the organization's social structure. I characterize appropriations of a technology's features as a set of practices that activate the informational capabilities of a new technology through advice networks. In activating its informational capabilities, technicians transformed the potential that the technology had to create, modify, transmit, and store information in new ways into resources used to organize their work. I conclude by discussing the implications of the findings for theorizing about and management of technologically induced organizational change.

Suggested Citation

  • Paul M. Leonardi, 2007. "Activating the Informational Capabilities of Information Technology for Organizational Change," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(5), pages 813-831, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:18:y:2007:i:5:p:813-831
    DOI: 10.1287/orsc.1070.0284
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1070.0284
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1287/orsc.1070.0284?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Gerardine DeSanctis & Marshall Scott Poole, 1994. "Capturing the Complexity in Advanced Technology Use: Adaptive Structuration Theory," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(2), pages 121-147, May.
    2. Stephanie Watts Sussman & Wendy Schneier Siegal, 2003. "Informational Influence in Organizations: An Integrated Approach to Knowledge Adoption," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 14(1), pages 47-65, March.
    3. Caroline Haythornthwaite & Barry Wellman, 1998. "Work, friendship, and media use for information exchange in a networked organization," Journal of the American Society for Information Science, Association for Information Science & Technology, vol. 49(12), pages 1101-1114.
    4. Henry C. Lucas, Jr., 1975. "Performance and the Use of an Information System," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(8), pages 908-919, April.
    5. Wanda J. Orlikowski, 2000. "Using Technology and Constituting Structures: A Practice Lens for Studying Technology in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 11(4), pages 404-428, August.
    6. Wanda J. Orlikowski & JoAnne Yates & Kazuo Okamura & Masayo Fujimoto, 1995. "Shaping Electronic Communication: The Metastructuring of Technology in the Context of Use," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 6(4), pages 423-444, August.
    7. Stephen R. Barley, 1990. "Images of Imaging: Notes on Doing Longitudinal Field Work," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 1(3), pages 220-247, August.
    8. Leonard-Barton, Dorothy, 1988. "Implementation as mutual adaptation of technology and organization," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 17(5), pages 251-267, October.
    9. Marcie J. Tyre & Wanda J. Orlikowski, 1994. "Windows of Opportunity: Temporal Patterns of Technological Adaptation in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 98-118, February.
    10. Daniel Robey & Sundeep Sahay, 1996. "Transforming Work Through Information Technology: A Comparative Case Study of Geographic Information Systems in County Government," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 7(1), pages 93-110, March.
    11. Wanda J. Orlikowski, 1996. "Improvising Organizational Transformation Over Time: A Situated Change Perspective," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 7(1), pages 63-92, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Andrew Burton-Jones & Camille Grange, 2013. "From Use to Effective Use: A Representation Theory Perspective," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 24(3), pages 632-658, September.
    2. Ferran Pérez & Claudio Vitari, 2020. "An affordance perspective to understand the relationship between organization and IT [La perspective des affordances pour comprendre les relations entre organisations et TIC]," Grenoble Ecole de Management (Post-Print) hal-03026906, HAL.
    3. Diane E. Bailey, 2022. "Emerging Technologies at Work: Policy Ideas to Address Negative Consequences for Work, Workers, and Society," ILR Review, Cornell University, ILR School, vol. 75(3), pages 527-551, May.
    4. Ferran Pérez & Claudio Vitari, 2020. "An affordance perspective to understand the relationship between organization and IT [La perspective des affordances pour comprendre les relations entre organisations et TIC]," Post-Print hal-03026906, HAL.
    5. Zand, Fardad & Van Beers, Cees & Van Leeuwen, George, 2011. "Information technology, organizational change and firm productivity: A panel study of complementarity effects and clustering patterns in Manufacturing and Services," MPRA Paper 46469, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    6. Katherine C. Kellogg & Jenna E. Myers & Lindsay Gainer & Sara J. Singer, 2021. "Moving Violations: Pairing an Illegitimate Learning Hierarchy with Trainee Status Mobility for Acquiring New Skills When Traditional Expertise Erodes," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(1), pages 181-209, January.
    7. Katharina Cepa, 2021. "Understanding interorganizational big data technologies: How technology adoption motivations and technology design shape collaborative dynamics," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(7), pages 1761-1799, November.
    8. Ram Kumar Dhurkari, 2017. "Information Technology and Organizational Change: Review of Theories and Application to a Case of Indian Railways," Management and Labour Studies, XLRI Jamshedpur, School of Business Management & Human Resources, vol. 42(2), pages 135-151, May.
    9. Schwarzmüller, Tanja & Brosi, Prisca & Duman, Denis & Welpe, Isabell M., 2018. "How Does the Digital Transformation Affect Organizations? Key Themes of Change in Work Design and Leadership," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 29(2), pages 114-138.
    10. Paul M. Leonardi & Tsedal B. Neeley & Elizabeth M. Gerber, 2012. "How Managers Use Multiple Media: Discrepant Events, Power, and Timing in Redundant Communication," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 23(1), pages 98-117, February.
    11. Mahama, Habib & Elbashir, Mohamed Z. & Sutton, Steve G. & Arnold, Vicky, 2016. "A further interpretation of the relational agency of information systems: A research note," International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, Elsevier, vol. 20(C), pages 16-25.
    12. Robert S. Huckman & Bradley R. Staats & David M. Upton, 2009. "Team Familiarity, Role Experience, and Performance: Evidence from Indian Software Services," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 55(1), pages 85-100, January.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Robert M. Fuller & Alan R. Dennis, 2009. "Does Fit Matter? The Impact of Task-Technology Fit and Appropriation on Team Performance in Repeated Tasks," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 20(1), pages 2-17, March.
    2. JoAnne Yates & Wanda J. Orlikowski & Kazuo Okamura, 1999. "Explicit and Implicit Structuring of Genres in Electronic Communication: Reinforcement and Change of Social Interaction," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 10(1), pages 83-103, February.
    3. Robert G. Fichman, 2004. "Real Options and IT Platform Adoption: Implications for Theory and Practice," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 15(2), pages 132-154, June.
    4. Sharath Sasidharan & Radhika Santhanam & Daniel J. Brass & Vallabh Sambamurthy, 2012. "The Effects of Social Network Structure on Enterprise Systems Success: A Longitudinal Multilevel Analysis," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 23(3-part-1), pages 658-678, September.
    5. Nicholas Berente & Kalle Lyytinen & Youngjin Yoo & John Leslie King, 2016. "Routines as Shock Absorbers During Organizational Transformation: Integration, Control, and NASA’s Enterprise Information System," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 27(3), pages 551-572, June.
    6. Kummitha, Rama Krishna Reddy, 2020. "Why distance matters: The relatedness between technology development and its appropriation in smart cities," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 157(C).
    7. Marie-Claude Boudreau & Daniel Robey, 2005. "Enacting Integrated Information Technology: A Human Agency Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(1), pages 3-18, February.
    8. Russell L. Purvis & V. Sambamurthy & Robert W. Zmud, 2001. "The Assimilation of Knowledge Platforms in Organizations: An Empirical Investigation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 12(2), pages 117-135, April.
    9. de Vaujany, François-Xavier & Fomin, Wlad, 2006. "Design in practice: bridging the gap between design and use dichotomies in practice-based studies," MPRA Paper 1313, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    10. Wanda J. Orlikowski & C. Suzanne Iacono, 2001. "Research Commentary: Desperately Seeking the “IT” in IT Research—A Call to Theorizing the IT Artifact," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 12(2), pages 121-134, June.
    11. Khuong, Le-Nguyen & Harindranath, G. & Dyerson, Romano, 2014. "Understanding knowledge management software-organisation misalignments from an institutional perspective: A case study of a global IT-management consultancy firm," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 34(2), pages 226-247.
    12. Hunter, Starling David, 2003. "Same Technology, Different Outcome? Lessons on Dummy Variables & Dependent Variable Transformations," Working papers 4308-03, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    13. Orlikowski, Wanda J. (Wanda Janina), 1995. "Improvising organizational transformation over time : a situated change perspective," Working papers 3865-95., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    14. Giang-Do Nguyen & Thu-Hien Thi Dao, 2024. "Factors influencing continuance intention to use mobile banking: an extended expectation-confirmation model with moderating role of trust," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 11(1), pages 1-14, December.
    15. Margunn Aanestad & Bob Jolliffe & Arunima Mukherjee & Sundeep Sahay, 2014. "Infrastructuring Work: Building a State-Wide Hospital Information Infrastructure in India," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 25(4), pages 834-845, December.
    16. Henri Barki & Ryad Titah & Céline Boffo, 2007. "Information System Use--Related Activity: An Expanded Behavioral Conceptualization of Individual-Level Information System Use," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 18(2), pages 173-192, June.
    17. Do Giang Nguyen & Minh-Tri Ha, 2022. "What Makes Users Continue to Want to Use the Digital Platform? Evidence From the Ride-Hailing Service Platform in Vietnam," SAGE Open, , vol. 12(1), pages 21582440211, January.
    18. Orlikowski, Wanda J. (Wanda Janina), 1999. "Technologies-in-practice : an enacted lens for studying technology in organizations," Working papers WP 4056-99., Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Sloan School of Management.
    19. Karine Gauche & Ariel Eggrickx, 2012. "Pilotage de la recherche à l'université : premiers résultats d'une étude de cas enchâssés," Post-Print hal-00936651, HAL.
    20. Ravi Anand Rao & Rahul De’, 2015. "Technology assimilation through conjunctures – a look at IS use in retail," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 17(1), pages 31-50, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:18:y:2007:i:5:p:813-831. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Chris Asher (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://edirc.repec.org/data/inforea.html .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.