Towards an Appropriation Infrastructure: Supporting User Creativity in IT Adoption

Research on the adoption of information systems (IS) often stated technology as a fixed entity. Following the ’practical turn’ in IS we argue that information technology artefacts are mainly ’cultural artefacts’, which are shaped in a social process of appropriation where software usage is accompanied by processes of interpretation, negotiation or change in organizations. We elaborate on a (neo-)Marxian interpretation of appropriation from a design-oriented perspective in order to investigate the possibilities of technological support of activities of appropriation work. To capture the different facets of appropriation, we combine theoretical concepts of social capital and activity-based learning. With the help of this theoretical orientation, we systemize empirical evidence from several research projects in order to detect recurring patterns. We use these patterns to develop a generic architecture for actively supporting the social activity of appropriating the cultural artefact in context of its usage

Infrastructuring: Toward an Integrated Perspective on the Design and Use of Information Technology

In this contribution, we investigate how results from the ongoing discussion about e-Infrastructures can be used to improve the design of IT infrastructures in organizations. We first establish a perspective on organizational IT as work infrastructure that focuses on the infrastructural nature of organizational Information Systems and describe challenges for designing within and for this type of infrastructure. Then we elaborate on possible use of concepts from the e-infrastructure discussion, in particular on the concept of infrastructuring as it was developed by Star and Ruhleder (1996) and Star and Bowker (2002). Using their “salient characteristics of infrastructure” we describe the methodological approach of Infrastructuring to develop methodological and tool support for all stakeholders’ activities that contribute to the successful establishment of an information system usage (equivalent to a work infrastructure improvement). We illustrate our ideas by drawing on a case in which new work infrastructures are introduced into an organizational context and by mapping out existing and possible tool support for infrastructuring

The appropriation of a software ecosystem : a practice take on the usage, maintenance and modification of the eclipse IDE

This thesis was written in order to gain a deeper understanding of the appropriation of software in groups and organizations. In doing so, it focuses on software created under the modern software engineering trend software ecosystems. Software ecosystems have a major influence on software development, as they rely on massive usage of distributed software development, open source models and modularization. It is unclear if existing models to explain appropriation still hold good. Furthermore, it has to be explored whether current appropriation support is still appropriate and beneficial or if we need new ideas to help users cope with these developments. In order to achieve these objectives, this work is mainly based on an empirical field study, which investigates workgroups at seven German organizations that use the Eclipse IDE, an extremely modularized and adaptable software system, developed by a globally active ecosystem of large corporations, small businesses and even hobbyists. Using the qualitative analysis approach of the grounded theory method and appropriation as a lens for this research endeavor, observations and interviews as well as artifacts were analyzed, uncovering practices that are part of Eclipse usage and appropriation. They are identified and discussed from the backdrop of software ecosystems – viewed from a users perspective. Examples are the sheer amount of appropriation activities at the shop floor, the dilemma of software maintenance, that comes with continuously developed but sometimes unstable technology, practices as learning or tailoring, influences on practices stemming from the software ecosystem, the organization and the group. Grounded in these results, suggestions for the design of appropriation support are given and prototypically implemented, which reflect the embeddedness of individuals and groups in the software ecosystem. They provide a fresh perspective, based on peer-to-peer technology and awareness mechanisms.Diese Arbeit wurde erstellt, um ein tieferes Verständnis über die Aneignung von Software in Gruppen und Organisationen zu erlangen. Dabei fokussiert sie auf eine Software die unter den Bedingungen eines modernen Trends im Software Engineering entstanden ist: Der Software Ökosystem Bewegung. Software Ökosysteme beeinflussen die Entwicklung von moderner Software maßgeblich, da sie verstärkt auf örtlich verteilte Entwicklung, Open Source Modelle und Modularisierung setzen. Bisher ist ungeklärt, ob existierende Ansätze zum Verständnis von Aneignung unter diesen Gegebenheiten ihre Gültigkeit behalten. Weitergehend ist zu untersuchen ob existierende Maßnahmen der Aneignungsunterstützung auch in diesem Kontext angemessen und vorteilhaft wirken, oder ob neue Ansätze entwickelt werden müssen um Nutzer heute sinnvoll zu unterstützen. Um diese Ziele zu erreichen, basiert diese Arbeit hauptsächlich auf einer qualitativ-empirischen Feldstudie in Arbeitsgruppen sieben Deutscher Organisationen, die alle die Eclipse IDE einsetzen – ein extrem modularisiertes und anpassbares Software System das durch ein global agierendes Software Ökosystem aus großen Konzernen, KMU und sogar Hobbyisten hergestellt wird. Mit Hilfe des qualitativen Analyseansatzes in Form der Grounded Theory Method und Aneignung als Linse für dieses Forschungsvorhaben wurden die Daten aus Beobachtungen, Interviews und bei Arbeitsplatzbesuchen gesammelter Artefakte analysiert. Dabei wurden Praktiken die Teil der Eclipse Nutzung und Aneignung sind, erfasst näher definiert und vor dem Hintergrund von Software Ökosystemen und aus Perspektive der Nutzer diskutiert. Die Ergebnisse umfassen unter anderem eine Reihe verschiedener Aneignungsaktivitäten, das Dilemma der Wartung komplexer Software Systeme welche durch die kontinuierliche Entwicklung und teilweise instabile Komponenten entsteht, Praktiken wie Lernen oder Anpassen, sowie Einflüsse auf die Arbeitspraktiken die aus dem Software Ökosystem, der Gruppe oder der Organisation stammen. Begründet auf den Ergebnissen dieser Forschung, werden Vorschläge für das Design von Aneignungsunterstützung gegeben und prototypisch realisiert. Diese spiegeln wider wie Individuen und Gruppen in das Software Ökosystem eingebettet sind und präsentieren durch den Einsatz von Peer-to-Peer Technik und Awareness Mechanismen eine neue Perspektive auf Aneignungsunterstützung