From Intranets to Wrestling Information Infastructures

This study explores intranets as information infrastructure and this conceptualization is supported by evidence from three interpretive case studies. If an intranet is considered as an infrastructure then it does not occur ‘de-nouvo’, it must wrestle with an ‘installed-base’ and over time extends as a new infrastructure. If this is the case what are the social arrangements that are embedded and give visibility to the Information Infrastructure? What are these existing ‘installed bases’ that an Intranet wrestles with? A qualitative analysis strategy exploiting qualitative analysis software enhances this research. This study concludes that web-based information resources are in fact an information infrastructure, which do not occur ‘de-nouvo’. They ‘wrestle’ with and extend the existing non-technical organisational communication structures, taking on their strengths and weaknesses. They also ‘plug’ into other technical infrastructures in a seamless way. Business processes are also inscribed on to the information infrastructure, but in a partial manner rather than full-automation. A model of this nature can help the IS professional to more purposively extend an Intranet to a business critical information infrastructure

Inscriptions on Intranets as Information Infastructures - Exposing the Cultivation Chasm

This study explores intranets as information infrastructure and considers critically the stakeholders, who are responsible for updating the intranet, and the associated organisational impact of their activity, in three interpretive case studies. Previous research indicates that web-based information resources are in fact an information infrastructure, which do not occur ‘denouvo’. They ‘wrestle’ with and extend the existing non-technical organisational communication structures, taking on their strengths and weaknesses. As information infrastructures, numerous social arrangements are embedded or inscribed, giving visibility to the Information Infrastructure. This paper explores the nature of these inscriptions and considers either the influence of the IS function (topdown) versus the end-user (bottom-up) contributions. A number of authors propose cultivation as the desirable middleground between top down and bottom-up lead implementations. The findings are discussed from a critical theory perspective by considering the emancipation of the end-user versus domination via the top-down paradigm

Mitigating risk in computerized bureaucracy

This paper presents an important aspect of the pragmatic dimensions of mitigating the risks that stem from computerized bureaucracy, and thereby, preserving the organizational integrity of a firm. A case study is used to provide valuable insights into the mechanics of such mitigation. The case refers to the problematic implementation and use of a computerized reservation system in a large budget hotel in London, United Kingdom. Following the empirical findings, Ciborra’s notions of bricolage, improvisation and tinkering are examined as practical and useful ways of addressing the downsides of computerized bureaucracy

A Framework for Managing Predictable and Unpredictable Threats: The Duality of Information Security Management

Information systems security is a challenging research area in the context of Information Systems. In fact, it has strong practical implications for the management of IS and, at the same time, it gives very interesting insights into understanding the process of social phenomena when communication information technologies are deployed in organizations. Current standards and best practices for the design and management of information systems security, recommend structured and mechanistic approaches, such as risk management methods and techniques, in order to address security issues. However, risk analysis and risk evaluation processes have their limitations, when security incidents occur, they emerge in a context, and their rarity and even their uniqueness give rise to unpredictable threats. The analysis of these phenomena which are characterized by breakdowns, surprises and side- effects, requires a theoretical approach which is able to examine and interpret subjectively the detail of each incident. The aim of this paper is to highlight the duality of information systems security, providing an alternative view on the management of those aspects already defined in the literature as intractable problems and this is pursued through a formative context (Ciborra, Lanzara, 1994) that supports bricolage, hacking and improvisation

Why Managers Tolerate Workarounds – The Role of Information Systems

Workarounds as deviations from defined routines in business processes challenge standardization and thus the performance improvements expected from information systems. Literature associates workarounds predominantly with performance losses. Only few studies report on performance improvements from workarounds. However, what characterizes situations in which managers tolerate workarounds to yield potential performance improvements? This study examines situations in which managers are able to decide whether to tolerate or to prohibit workarounds. We report on a multiple case study in two organizations and use existing research on workarounds to structure our analysis. Building on this, we show that expected efficiency gains, exposure to compliance risk and perceived process weakness have an effect on the willingness of management to tolerate workarounds. We develop a model that illustrates important aspects of situations that influence this willingness and outlines the role of information systems in understanding workarounds

The duality of Information Security Management: fighting against predictable and unpredictable threats

Information systems security is a challenging research area in the context of Information Systems. In fact, it has strong practical implications for the management of IS and, at the same time, it gives very interesting insights into understanding the process of social phenomena when communication information technologies are deployed in organizations. Current standards and best practices for the design and management of information systems security, recommend structured and mechanistic approaches, such as risk management methods and techniques, in order to address security issues. However, risk analysis and risk evaluation processes have their limitations, when security incidents occur, they emerge in a context, and their rarity and even their uniqueness give rise to unpredictable threats. The analysis of these phenomena which are characterized by breakdowns, surprises and side-effects, requires a theoretical approach which is able to examine and interpret subjectively the detail of each incident. The aim of this paper is to highlight the duality of information systems security, providing an alternative view on the management of those aspects already defined in the literature as intractable problems and this is pursued through a formative context (Ciborra, Lanzara, 1994) that supports bricolage, hacking and improvisation.Information systems security is a challenging research area in the context of Information Systems. In fact, it has strong practical implications for the management of IS and, at the same time, it gives very interesting insights into understanding the process of social phenomena when communication information technologies are deployed in organizations. Current standards and best practices for the design and management of information systems security, recommend structured and mechanistic approaches, such as risk management methods and techniques, in order to address security issues. However, risk analysis and risk evaluation processes have their limitations, when security incidents occur, they emerge in a context, and their rarity and even their uniqueness give rise to unpredictable threats. The analysis of these phenomena which are characterized by breakdowns, surprises and side-effects, requires a theoretical approach which is able to examine and interpret subjectively the detail of each incident. The aim of this paper is to highlight the duality of information systems security, providing an alternative view on the management of those aspects already defined in the literature as intractable problems and this is pursued through a formative context (Ciborra, Lanzara, 1994) that supports bricolage, hacking and improvisation.Articles published in or submitted to a Journal without IF refereed / of international relevanc

TRANSLATING ES-EMBEDDED INSTITUTIONAL LOGICS THROUGH TECHNOLOGICAL FRAMING: AN INDIAN-BASED CASE EXAMPLE

In this paper we explore how the implementation of an Enterprise System (ES) is related to organizational change, using an institutional theory lens. Our paper responds to recent calls by institutional theorists to first, better understand the ways in which macro, field-level logics of action are framed and applied in micro practices within an organization and second, to understand how material objects contribute to institutional stability and change. Our findings show the interplay between macro logics and the process of local framing through which these logics become locally interpreted, leading eventually to new institutionalized practices. Our study suggests the possibility of co-mingling contrasting and competing logics in the local context. We do this through the interpretive exploration of a rich case study of an ES implementation in India. This is an ideal case to examine because the institutional logic inscribed in the ES is developed within one organizational field, but is applied in a very different organizational field, thus allowing us to explore the macro-micro dynamics as well as the role of technology as a carrier and stabilizer of institutional structures and practices

On Translation: Social Networks : Haciéndolo visible, haciéndolo público

La red, la grilla, la matriz. Todas estas palabras pueden sugerir la idea de interconexión entre nodos dispersos. Todas estas conexiones, que hoy son posibles gracias a la tecnología y las comunicaciones, traen consigo una nueva dimensión social al crecimiento de información y su difusión en organizaciones. Pero, ¿qué tienen de particular las redes de hoy? Una aproximación posible a la redes es considerarlas organizaciones en sí mismas. Sin embargo, su constitución habilita nuevas perspectivas de reflexión sobre las mismas. El fundamento del trabajo ha cambiado de una perspectiva modernista ingenieril y lineal a una sociedad basado en el conocimiento. La tecnología ha posibilitado la recomposición (y descomposición) de tareas haciendo cada parte del trabajo más granular y especializada (Kallinikos 2006). Esto ha dado lugar a un nuevo tipo de trabajador, el “knowledge worker” o trabajador del conocimiento. Sólo en los Estados Unidos, entre los años 1998 y 2004 el 70% de los nuevos puestos laborales ofertados correspondieron a esta categoría, y cerca de la mitad de la actual fuerza laboral se considera compuesta por trabajadores del conocimiento (Johnson, Manyika et al. 2005). A medida que las organizaciones se tornan más complejas y globales, crece la tendencia en la alta gerencia de analizar la estructura de la organización para tornarla más dinámica y flexible, de modo que pueda responder rápidamente a los cambios. La utilización de una serie de procedimientos y tecnologías permitiría hipotéticamente hacerla más eficiente al racionalizar sus procesos. No obstante, estos esfuerzos no toman en cuenta las prácticas sociales sutiles que subyacen tras la complejidad de una organización. Algunas de estas prácticas involucran un fenómeno de cognición distribuida (Hutchins 1995) por el cual, múltiples comunidades de trabajadores del conocimiento especializados interactúan y crean patrones de sentido por medio de representaciones simbólicas y cognitivas (Winograd and Flores 1986; Boland and Tenkasi 1995; Weick 1995). El propio trabajo es hoy día un proceso cognitivo, que se ocupa más de la información en monitores que de lo que sucede en el lugar de producción. Más aún, el taller o planta ya no existe, las operaciones de una organización están disociadas y se tercerizan en China o la India. La tarea cognitiva de monitoreo de información se torna más delicada y especializada en este contexto (Zuboff 1984; Kallinikos 2006). Como proyecto, OT:SN permite la visualización de tareas cognitivas e informaciones complejas que organizaciones de conocimiento intercambian o dan a conocer públicamente. OT:SN devela ciertos elementos de control implementados en una amplia gama de actividades relativas al conocimiento, culturales, económicas, tecnológicas o militares que desarrollan las organizaciones. Todas estas instituciones se caracterizan por un empleo intensivo de trabajadores del conocimiento, el uso de tecnologías y la producción de información. Sin embargo, el uso de tecnologías está atravesado por muchas prácticas que tienen su origen en la investigación militar. OT:SN selecciona palabras del léxico castrense para averiguar de qué manera otras organizaciones retienen la influencia semántica de estos términos militares en sus sitios Web corporativos y bases de datos públicas. Las palabras son nada si no se les otorga un sentido. La constitución semántica de las palabras requiere de un contexto específico. OT:SN puede ser visto como un análisis del modo en que palabras originadas y utilizadas abundantemente en el ambiente militar penetra otros ámbitos institucionales. Esto tipifica la estrecha relación histórica entre la tecnología y la esfera militar, relación que aún no se ha escindido. No debemos olvidar que los más importantes desarrollos tecnológicos, desde la Internet hasta la visualización informática, para nombrar sólo algunos, fueron realizados para aplicaciones militares y construidos a partir del estrecho vínculo entre universidades y empresas privadas en una red cerrada (Hacker and Vining 2006).Facultad de Arquitectura y Urbanism