Introduction: Structuration Theory

Stones, Rob

doi:10.1007/978-0-230-21364-7_1

Cited by 182 publications

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“…Our study demonstrates the value of strong structuration theory and actor network theory, in combination, for conducting macro-level studies involving information technology. We have extended the original work by Stones (2005) and Greenhalgh and Stones (2010), by drawing on additional ANT concepts to explain the agency actions arising out of technology change and the subsequent impact of actor networks on organizational structures.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Strong structuration theory (SST) is an adaptation of structuration theory developed by Stones (Stones, 2005). SST adapts structuration theory for empirical work by introducing ontology-in-situ as "observing structures and action by agents in everyday occurrences of a conjuncture (a critical combination of events or occurrences)" (Greenhalgh & Stones, 2010).…”

Section: Strong Structuration Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…SST develops a quadripartite model for studying structuration using four components ( Fig.1): 1) External-structures: comprising of acknowledged or unacknowledged (by the agent-in-focus) conditions of actions that lead to intended or unintended consequences through independent causal influences or irresistible external influences (Jack & Kholeif, 2007). 2) Internal-structures: representing agent's general-disposition that she draws upon and her conjuncturally-specific knowledge through the role or the position occupied by her (Stones, 2005). SST also adopts Cohen's notion of position-practices, a set of structures and practices that a positional incumbent can do (Cohen, 1989), 3) Active-agency: constituting the actions taken by the agent-in-focus drawn either routinely or strategically from their internal structures (Greenhalgh & Stones, 2010).…”

Section: Strong Structuration Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Organizational Assimilation of Technology in a Sunrise Industry – A Story of Successes and Failures

Rao¹,

Dé²

2013

Grand Successes and Failures in IT. Public and Private Sectors

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Abstract. The study analyzes the contextual factors impacting technology assimilation in an environment that is characterized by macro-economic changes, rapid technological innovations, emerging industry practices and shifting organizational contexts. Stones' strong structuration theory (SST), a refinement of Giddens' structuration theory, is used as the theoretical lens for studying the technology assimilation process. SST is used to analyze the structuration process at the micro-level and its impact on the structures at the meso/macrolevel. In addition, actor network theory (ANT) is used to analyze the role of heterogeneous actors in altering the structures as the actor network adapts to the technological innovations and changing contexts.Keywords: Structuration theory, Actor network theory, Technology diffusion, Technology assimilation. IntroductionStudies of technology in organizations can be classified into two broad streams of research. The first stream adopts the ontological stance of discrete entities; the primary mechanism of diffusion being the moderation effect or technology impact; the methodology being variance-based studies; and the key concepts studied being technological imperatives or contingency models (Orlikowski & Scott, 2008). Most of the early diffusion studies fall into such a positivist stream of research and attempt to understand the relation between technology and organizational context, and its impact on the innovation diffusion process. The second stream of research adopts an ontological stance that assumes technology and organizations being part of a mutually dependent ensemble; the primary mechanism of diffusion being the interaction effect of technology with the organizational context and human actors; the methodology being process-based studies; and the key concepts being the duality of technology with technology viewed as both a physical and a social object (Orlikowski & Scott, 2008). A majority of the studies that fall into this stream of research focus on the interplay of technology and organization / human actors and the resultant impact on technology and organizational structures. While technology impact in organizations has attracted research approaches from both of these paradigms, technology adoption and diffusion studies has largely remained positivist in nature. Fichman (Fichman, 2000) points out the limitations of the

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Strong Structuration Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Strong Structuration Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Organizational Assimilation of Technology in a Sunrise Industry – A Story of Successes and Failures

Rao¹,

Dé²

2013

Grand Successes and Failures in IT. Public and Private Sectors

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“…Practice theory, as I suggest below, provides an ontological basis for understanding both structure and agency (separately conceived) and their interaction in the processes of social life. I have referred elsewhere to social scientists' attempts to interpret a phenomenon in terms of its underlying social processes as the telling of practice stories, and following Stones (2005), I have suggested some analytical concepts through which we can think through more systematically the various steps in a cycle of structuration (O'Reilly, 2012). Crucially these involve separating out structure and agency at the conceptual level (albeit always understanding them as co-created over time); identifying the given agents in focus and in context for a given problematic (Stones, 2005); and always retaining a notion of time and process, of the unfolding of events.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…I have referred elsewhere to social scientists' attempts to interpret a phenomenon in terms of its underlying social processes as the telling of practice stories, and following Stones (2005), I have suggested some analytical concepts through which we can think through more systematically the various steps in a cycle of structuration (O'Reilly, 2012). Crucially these involve separating out structure and agency at the conceptual level (albeit always understanding them as co-created over time); identifying the given agents in focus and in context for a given problematic (Stones, 2005); and always retaining a notion of time and process, of the unfolding of events. Here I unpack the role of the social imaginary in lifestyle migration, examining it in terms of the elements of active agency; external structures; internalised structures; practices and outcomes that have been discussed but not elucidated by other authors, especially in this volume.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Role of the Social Imaginary in Lifestyle Migration: Employing the Ontology of Practice Theory

O’Reilly

2014

Understanding Lifestyle Migration

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imprecise jargon that reifies complexes of things, while discounting people and actions. I argue here that scholars employing the concept would benefit from thinking through its various elements (and actions) more systematically. It is useful to examine the grand ideas, distant structures, sweeping changes, discourses and significations, that pre-exist given agents, and then to relate these to an examination of the level of the daily practices of agents, their tactics and negotiations, in the context of cultural communities. In turn, the concept of the social imaginary can be employed to understand the shaping of new material and social structures and significations, through the ongoing interaction of structure and agency. Thus, I argue, the concept of the social imaginary would benefit from being underpinned by the ontology of practice theory, which provides an ontological basis for understanding both structure and agency (separately conceived) and their interaction in the processes of social life. This chapter then unpacks the role of the social imaginary in lifestyle migration, examining it in terms of the elements of active agency; external structures; internalised structures; practices and outcomes that have been discussed but not elucidated by other authors, especially in this volume.

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A structuration approach to online communities of practice: The case of Q&A communities

Rosenbaum

Shachaf

2010

J. Am. Soc. Inf. Sci.

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This article describes an approach based on structuration theory (Giddens, 1979(Giddens, , 1984 Orlikowski, 1992Orlikowski, , 2000 and communities of practice (Wenger, 1998) that can be used to guide investigation into the dynamics of online question and answer (Q&A) communities. This approach is useful because most research on Q&A sites has focused attention on information retrieval, information seeking behavior, and information intermediation and has assumed uncritically that the online Q&A community plays an important role in these domains of study. Assuming instead that research on online communities should take into account social, technical, and contextual factors (Kling, Rosenbaum, & Sawyer, 2005), the utility of this approach is demonstrated with an analysis of three online Q&A communities seen as communities of practice. This article makes a theoretical contribution to the study of online Q&A communities and, more generally, to the domain of social reference.

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Introduction: Structuration Theory

Cited by 182 publications

References 0 publications

Organizational Assimilation of Technology in a Sunrise Industry – A Story of Successes and Failures

Organizational Assimilation of Technology in a Sunrise Industry – A Story of Successes and Failures

The Role of the Social Imaginary in Lifestyle Migration: Employing the Ontology of Practice Theory

A structuration approach to online communities of practice: The case of Q&A communities

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