IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/p/hal/journl/hal-03716243.html
   My bibliography  Save this paper

Is IT changing the world?

Author

Listed:
  • M. Lynne Markus

    (Bentley University)

  • Frantz Rowe

    (LEMNA - Laboratoire d'économie et de management de Nantes Atlantique - IEMN-IAE Nantes - Institut d'Économie et de Management de Nantes - Institut d'Administration des Entreprises - Nantes - UN - Université de Nantes)

Abstract

Whatever answer one gives to the question "Is information technology changing the world?," the answer contains reasoning about causality. Causal reasoning is central to IS theorizing. This paper focuses on the concept of causal structure, defined by Markus and Robey (1988) as a theorist's assumptions about causal influences in IS phenomena, and proposes a framework of causal structure, warranted by philosophy and social theory, specialized for the needs of Information Systems scholars. The three dimensions of the framework concern the theorist's views about the reality and meaning of causation (causal ontology), about that which is changed in causation (causal trajectory), and about the role of humans and/or technology in bringing about the change (causal autonomy). On each dimension, mutually exclusive alternative positions are described, backed by authoritative warrants, and illustrated with IS examples. The framework aims to offer useful insights into the nature of IS theory and the conundrum of theoretical contribution.

Suggested Citation

  • M. Lynne Markus & Frantz Rowe, 2018. "Is IT changing the world?," Post-Print hal-03716243, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:hal-03716243
    DOI: 10.25300/MISQ/2018/12903
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://hal.science/hal-03716243
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://hal.science/hal-03716243/document
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.25300/MISQ/2018/12903?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. M. Lynne Markus & Daniel Robey, 1988. "Information Technology and Organizational Change: Causal Structure in Theory and Research," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 34(5), pages 583-598, May.
    2. Wanda J. Orlikowski, 2002. "Knowing in Practice: Enacting a Collective Capability in Distributed Organizing," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(3), pages 249-273, June.
    3. Richard Heeks & Carolyne Stanforth, 2007. "Understanding e-Government project trajectories from an actor-network perspective," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(2), pages 165-177, April.
    4. M N Ravishankar & Shan L Pan & Michael D Myers, 2013. "Information technology offshoring in India: a postcolonial perspective," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 22(4), pages 387-402, July.
    5. Ulrike Schultze, 2014. "Performing embodied identity in virtual worlds," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(1), pages 84-95, January.
    6. Rodolphe Durand & Eero Vaara, 2009. "Causation, counterfactuals, and competitive advantage," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(12), pages 1245-1264, December.
    7. Frantz Rowe, 2018. "Being critical is good, but better with philosophy! From digital transformation and values to the future of IS research," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 27(3), pages 380-393, May.
    8. Andrew Burton-Jones & Ephraim R McLean & Emmanuel Monod, 2015. "Theoretical perspectives in IS research: from variance and process to conceptual latitude and conceptual fit," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 24(6), pages 664-679, November.
    9. Marie-Claude Boudreau & Daniel Robey, 2005. "Enacting Integrated Information Technology: A Human Agency Perspective," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 16(1), pages 3-18, February.
    10. Allen S. Lee & Richard L. Baskerville, 2003. "Generalizing Generalizability in Information Systems Research," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 14(3), pages 221-243, September.
    11. Jie Mein Goh & Guodong (Gordon) Gao & Ritu Agarwal, 2011. "Evolving Work Routines: Adaptive Routinization of Information Technology in Healthcare," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 22(3), pages 565-585, September.
    12. 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.
    13. Pär J Ågerfalk, 2014. "Insufficient theoretical contribution: a conclusive rationale for rejection?," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 23(6), pages 593-599, November.
    14. Melissa Mazmanian & Wanda J. Orlikowski & JoAnne Yates, 2013. "The Autonomy Paradox: The Implications of Mobile Email Devices for Knowledge Professionals," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 24(5), pages 1337-1357, October.
    15. Raymond F. Zammuto & Terri L. Griffith & Ann Majchrzak & Deborah J. Dougherty & Samer Faraj, 2007. "Information Technology and the Changing Fabric of Organization," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(5), pages 749-762, October.
    16. Kalle Lyytinen & Richard Baskerville & Juhani Iivari & Dov Te'eni, 2007. "Why the old world cannot publish? Overcoming challenges in publishing high-impact IS research," European Journal of Information Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 16(4), pages 317-326, August.
    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. Islam, A.K.M. Najmul & Mäntymäki, Matti & Turunen, Marja, 2019. "Why do blockchains split? An actor-network perspective on Bitcoin splits," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    2. Roman Beck & Jens Dibbern & Martin Wiener, 2020. "Call for Papers, Issue 3/2022," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 62(6), pages 623-625, December.
    3. André Hanelt & René Bohnsack & David Marz & Cláudia Antunes Marante, 2021. "A Systematic Review of the Literature on Digital Transformation: Insights and Implications for Strategy and Organizational Change," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(5), pages 1159-1197, July.
    4. Jeffrey D. Wall & Prashant Palvia & John D’Arcy, 2022. "Theorizing the Behavioral Effects of Control Complementarity in Security Control Portfolios," Information Systems Frontiers, Springer, vol. 24(2), pages 637-658, April.

    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. Dragos Vieru & Pierre-Emmanuel Arduin, 2016. "Sharing Knowledge in a Shared Services Center Context: An Explanatory Case Study of the Dialectics of Formal and Informal Practices," Post-Print hal-01458031, HAL.
    2. Paula Jarzabkowski & Sarah Kaplan, 2015. "Strategy tools-in-use: A framework for understanding “technologies of rationality” in practice," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 36(4), pages 537-558, April.
    3. Dragos Vieru & Pierre-Emmanuel Arduin, 2016. "Sharing Knowledge in a Shared Services Center Context: An Explanatory Case Study of the Dialectics of Formal and Informal Practices," Post-Print hal-01292702, HAL.
    4. Emmanuelle Vaast & Geoff Walsham, 2009. "Trans-Situated Learning: Supporting a Network of Practice with an Information Infrastructure," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 20(4), pages 547-564, December.
    5. Adhikari, Pawan & Upadhaya, Bedanand & Wijethilake, Chaminda & Dhakal Adhikari, Shovita, 2023. "The sociomateriality of digitalisation in Nepalese NGOs," The British Accounting Review, Elsevier, vol. 55(5).
    6. 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.
    7. Sean Hansen & A. James Baroody, 2020. "Electronic Health Records and the Logics of Care: Complementarity and Conflict in the U.S. Healthcare System," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 31(1), pages 57-75, March.
    8. 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.
    9. Andy Weeger & Heinz-Theo Wagner & Heiko Gewald & Tim Weitzel, 2021. "Contradictions and Interventions in Health IS," Business & Information Systems Engineering: The International Journal of WIRTSCHAFTSINFORMATIK, Springer;Gesellschaft für Informatik e.V. (GI), vol. 63(6), pages 689-710, December.
    10. Orlikowski, Wanda J. & Scott, Susan V., 2008. "The entanglement of technology and work in organizations," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 33898, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    11. Stella Pachidi & Hans Berends & Samer Faraj & Marleen Huysman, 2021. "Make Way for the Algorithms: Symbolic Actions and Change in a Regime of Knowing," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(1), pages 18-41, January.
    12. Karim Messeghem & Françoise Pierson, 2005. "Intranet RH:outil de contrôle des pratiques de gestion des ressources humaines de l’encadrement intermédiaire?," Revue Finance Contrôle Stratégie, revues.org, vol. 8(2), pages 237-261, June.
    13. Alistair Mutch, 2010. "Technology, Organization, and Structure---A Morphogenetic Approach," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 21(2), pages 507-520, April.
    14. Wanda J. Orlikowski & Susan V. Scott, 2014. "What Happens When Evaluation Goes Online? Exploring Apparatuses of Valuation in the Travel Sector," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(3), pages 868-891, June.
    15. Saggi Nevo & Dorit Nevo & Alain Pinsonneault, 2021. "Personal Achievement Goals, Learning Strategies, and Perceived IT Affordances," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 32(4), pages 1298-1322, December.
    16. Jarrahi, Mohammad Hossein & Crowston, Kevin & Bondar, Kateryna & Katzy, Bernhard, 2017. "A pragmatic approach to managing enterprise IT infrastructures in the era of consumerization and individualization of IT," International Journal of Information Management, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 566-575.
    17. André Hanelt & René Bohnsack & David Marz & Cláudia Antunes Marante, 2021. "A Systematic Review of the Literature on Digital Transformation: Insights and Implications for Strategy and Organizational Change," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 58(5), pages 1159-1197, July.
    18. Natalia Levina, 2005. "Collaborating on Multiparty Information Systems Development Projects: A Collective Reflection-in-Action View," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 16(2), pages 109-130, June.
    19. Achim Hecker & Alois Ganter, 2016. "Organisational And Technological Innovation And The Moderating Effect Of Open Innovation Strategies," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(02), pages 1-31, February.
    20. Pamela J. Hinds & Diane E. Bailey, 2003. "Out of Sight, Out of Sync: Understanding Conflict in Distributed Teams," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 14(6), pages 615-632, December.

    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:hal:journl:hal-03716243. 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: CCSD (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/ .

    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.