Structuration, ICTs, and Community Work

This paper reports upon the outcomes of an action research project which took place with a network of neighbourhood houses (community-based organisations) in the Western Region of Melbourne, Australia. Our first aim was to engage community-based organisations, through participatory action research techniques, to develop information and knowledge management plans for an electronic community network. Our second was to integrate structuration theory and theories of participatory action research, in order to provide a new context for understanding how ICTs can be used with community-based organisations. The paper reports on the major issues found in the research, and plans developed to address those issues

Editorial: Putting Our Work in Context

Editorial: Putting Our Work in Contex

Negotiating Agency and Control: Theorizing Human-Machine Communication from a Structurational Perspective

Intelligent technologies have the potential to transform organizations and organizing processes. In particular, they are unique from prior organizational technologies in that they reposition technology as agent rather than a tool or object of use. Scholars studying human-machine communication (HMC) have begun to theorize the dual role played by human and machine agency, but they have focused primarily on the individual level. Drawing on Structuration Theory (Giddens, 1984), we propose a theoretical framework to explain agency in HMC as a process involving the negotiation of control between human and machine agents. This article contributes to HMC scholarship by offering a framework and research agenda to guide future theory-building and research on the use of intelligent technologies in organizational contexts

Contributions from visitor research to CI and ICT4D theory and research methodology

The case study involved the evaluation of a single science centre exhibit in a number of different science centres in a developing country. This illustrates the lessons that Community Informatics and ICT for Development researchers can learn from “Visitor Research” theory and methods. The three contexts identified in The Contextual Model of Learning are seen to shed light on the research process as well as to its original purpose, free-choice learning. A multi-methodological research approach was used and each science centre was described separately so that the different levels of context could be taken into account.http://www.ci-journal.netam2016Informatic

Telematics for community portal development.

Community portals emanate from information and communication technology (ICT) applied to community networking, enabling citizens to access information and services on-line. These telematic portal systems are now deployed globally, facilitating information services to geographic and virtual communities. The context of this research study is one of community portals deployed by UK government local authorities for citizen service interactions. To date there have been few studies that holistically and longitudinally examine the subject of community portals. The 5 year research exercise has been undertaken as a qualitative study using an interpretivist approach and methodology derived > from context-process analysis. The approach was influenced by Mumford’s writings on ‘people and technology' and Schuler’s early work on community network development in the USA. Data collection was undertaken using a national survey questionnaire and qualitative techniques including interviews and mini-case studies. Findings of the research include a new categorisation of community portals into two distinctive types of Civic and Civil portal. Theoretical outcomes include an improved understanding of the methodological, technical, and social dimensions of portal development and deployment. The implications for management include an exposition of the issues involved in community portal development and the important need for citizen engagement in the process. A case study of Blackpool, (and mini case studies of five civic / civil portals), point to lack of collaboration between central and local government portal architects and developers

Human-Machine Communication: Complete Volume. Volume 2

This is the complete volume of HMC Volume 2

Processo eletrônico de compras públicas na perspectiva da dualidade da tecnologia: um estudo comparado no contexto brasileiro e paraibano

This study aimed to understand the electronic procurement (e-procurement) from the perspective of the "duality of technology" in the context of federal and state public institutions located in Joao Pessoa-Paraíba, in Brazil. From this goal, a literature review of the assumptions that led to the introduction of the electronic procurement on the Public Administration (PA) was made, including the new public management reform (NPM), the emergence of so-called e-government, reaching one of its areas of activity: the e-procurement. In addition, it was discussed about the legal and government actions that support this initiative in the public sector of Brazil and Paraiba. Moreover, it was noticed the need for a study out of the dominant technical rationality, therefore, an interpretive research perspective, addressing the "duality of technology", using the structurational model of technology (ORLIKOWSKI, 1992). Thus, according to the theoretical perspective chosen, and from data collected in two interpretive case studies undertaken, a qualitative content analysis was done (GLÄSER; LAUDEL, 2009), aiming to obtain dimensions for the justification for the use and introduction of e-procurement, for institutional properties, to PA and users, and, finally, for the very process of electronic procurement. After assessing the dimensions obtained, it proceeded with the interpretation from the conceptual structurational model of technology (ORLIKOWSKI, 1992). In this sense, it was felt that the introduction and use of e-procurement has consequences on the daily action of users, and these actions result in organizational implications in the context of federal and state institutions located in Paraíba. It was found in both cases investigated that the introduction of e-procurement is not just the result of legal measures, but rather part of a broader context; the institutional properties have brought institutional changes in mechanisms and characteristics of the process at both the federal and state levels; different interpretations of each organizational actor to the e-procurement; electronic procurement carries risk, confirming that it is not an easy initiative to implement, because it has a number of difficulties that comes from the multiple objectives of PA that go beyond economic issues. In terms of "duality of technology", it was demonstrated the duality of the e-procurement, as it enable and constrain human action at the same time. Moreover, it was perceived much more a reaffirmation of the status quo, with reinforcement of legitimation, signification and domination structures of Public Administration in both cases.Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPESO presente estudo buscou compreender o processo eletrônico de compras públicas (e-procurement) brasileiro e paraibano, a partir da perspectiva da dualidade da tecnologia , no contexto de instituições públicas federais e estaduais situadas em João Pessoa, na Paraíba. A partir deste objetivo, investigaram-se na literatura os pressupostos que deram origem à introdução do processo eletrônico de compras na Administração Pública (AP), discorrendo-se desde o movimento gerencialista de reforma da AP (NGP), passando pelo surgimento do chamado Governo Eletrônico, chegando a uma das suas áreas de atuação: o e-procurement público. Além disso, foram apresentados os requisitos legais e ações governamentais que dão sustentação a esta iniciativa na Administração Pública brasileira e paraibana. Outrossim, percebeu-se a necessidade de um estudo fora da racionalidade técnica dominante, ou seja, realizar uma investigação numa perspectiva interpretativa, incluindo a abordagem da dualidade da tecnologia , com o modelo de estruturação da tecnologia (ORLIKOWSKI, 1992). Assim, consoante com a perspectiva teórica escolhida e, a partir dos dados coletados nos dois estudos de casos interpretativos realizados, procedeu-se com a análise qualitativa de conteúdo (GLÄSER; LAUDEL, 2009), objetivando obter dimensões referentes à justificativa para uso do eprocurement, às propriedades institucionais, à Administração Pública e usuários, e, por fim, ao próprio processo eletrônico de compras públicas. Após a apreciação das dimensões obtidas, procedeu-se com a interpretação a partir do modelo conceitual de estruturação da tecnologia (ORLIKOWSKI, 1992). Neste sentido, percebeu-se que a introdução e uso do e-procurement acarreta conseqüências na ação cotidiana dos usuários, bem como essas ações resultam em implicações organizacionais no contexto das instituições federais e estaduais paraibanas. Evidenciou-se, em ambos os casos investigados, que: a introdução do e-procurement público não é, apenas, resultado de medidas jurídicas, mas, sim, faz parte de um contexto mais amplo; as propriedades institucionais têm acarretado mudanças em mecanismos e características do processo tanto no âmbito federal quanto estadual; diferentes interpretações de cada ator organizacional para com o e-procurement; o processo eletrônico de compras públicas carrega consigo riscos, comprovando que ele não é uma iniciativa fácil de ser implementada, pois possui uma série de dificuldades, decorrentes dos múltiplos objetivos da AP, que vão além de questões econômicas. Em termos de dualidade da tecnologia , evidenciou-se o caráter dual do eprocurement, já que ele ao mesmo tempo em que habilita, também limita a ação humana. Ademais, evidenciou-se muito mais uma reafirmação do status quo, ou seja, um reforço das estrutura de legitimação, significação e dominação da Administração Pública em ambos os casos

Co-productions of technology, culture and policy in North America's community wireless networking movement

This thesis investigates the visions and realities of community WiFi's social and political impact, examining how communication technology and social forms are co-produced and providing a communication studies perspective on the transformation of social visions of technology into technological, social, and policy realities. By following the development of local WiFi projects and the emergence of broader policy-oriented mobilizations, it assesses the real outcomes of socially and politically progressive visions about information and communication technologies (ICTs). The visions of advocates and developers suggest that community WiFi projects can inspire greater local democratic engagement, while the realities suggest a more subtle bridging of influence from community WiFi actors into policy development spheres. The thesis describes local WiFi networks in Montreal and Fredericton, NB, and the North American Community Wireless Networking (CWN) movement as it has unfolded between 2004 and 2007, arguing that its democratic visions of technology and their institutional realities have been integral to the politicization of computing technology over the last four decades. Throughout the thesis, WiFi radio technology, a means of networking computers and connecting them to the internet by using unlicensed radio spectrum, acts as an example of how a technology's material form is co-produced along with its symbolic social and political significance