Imbrication of Representations: Risk and Digital Technologies*

Abstract

Though emerging from different venues and backgrounds, risk management and digital applications are both based on sophisticated techniques of representation. This paper tracks the multiple overlappings and convergence between these two streams of representations. Initially digital technologies play a background role, as a tool to execute the algorithms of risk calculus. Then, they are useful in managing surveys and data analysis for those areas where risk management needs to store data on, for example, accidents. With the extension of markets for trading risk, computers and networks (or Information and Communication Technologies, ICT) become the tools of choice to allow the efficient functioning of industries like insurance. In other industries, like banking, where 'the business' is a vast archipelago of applications running on systems and networks, it is apparent that these integrated systems are inherently exposed to risk. Hence, these humble tools become both the infrastructure of the risk industry, and also the source of new, often incalculable risks; they move from a clear-cut subordinate relationship (as tool) to that of "imbrication". Risk representations become more calculable and formalized, but this is obtained at the price of an incalculability of the risks of the infrastructure itself. The analysis of the multiple patterns of imbrication of representations between risk and digital technologies is applied to a range of empirical domains: from software engineering and information systems (the subservient infrastructure); to operational risk in banking; and finally to the future scenario of the democratization of finance, whereby Global Risk Information Databases (GRIDs), become gigantic machines to represent, compute, and trade all sorts of individual and social risks.-super-[1] Overall, the paper seeks to characterize the multiple links between risk and digital technologies in organizations and draws in part on the phenomenology of representation and Heidegger's studies of Care and Concern and his later work on the essence of modern technology. Copyright Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2006.

Communication and Materiality: A Conversation from theCM Café

“…I would argue that communication is the process by which material and human agencies are imbricated (Leonardi, 2011). I borrow this word ''imbrications'' from the work of James Taylor (from communication), Claudio Ciborra (in IS) and Saskia Sassen (from sociology) (Ciborra, 2006;Sassen, 2002;Taylor, 2001). Imbrication sounds like a fancy academic word, but its origins are much more humble.…”

Introduction: Organizations, Risk and Regulation

“…The first paper in this collection by Ciborra (2006) is directly relevant to the discussion of side effects and focuses on the ‘duality of risk’ inherent in large scale ICT infrastructure projects and related grid technologies. The very same technologies which have enabled financial risk management to prosper, and to achieve greater technical interconnectedness in financial markets, have simultaneously increased operational risk in those markets.…”

Enhancing Organisational Competitiveness Via Social Media - a Strategy as Practice Perspective

“…Also, it indicates that processes, structure and strategy occur in an emergent nature. Ciborra (2006) suggests that imbrication captures the reciprocal, self-reinforcing, often non-linear impacts of one representation upon the other. Thus, activities by multiple players within and outside the organisation such as online communities, context, invigorated processes and enacted practices all contribute in a numerous and diverse way to the emergence of social media strategy in KISU.…”

“…technology) (Orlikowski 2000). 'Imbrication' addresses the interweaving of people and material agencies (Ciborra 2006). The imbrication metaphor helps understand how structures and processes are produced, sustained and changed.…”