Research Commentary —Digital Infrastructures: The Missing IS Research Agenda
Abstract
Since the inauguration of information systems research (ISR) two decades ago, the information systems (IS) field's attention has moved beyond administrative systems and individual tools. Millions of users log onto Facebook, download iPhone applications, and use mobile services to create decentralized work organizations. Understanding these new dynamics will necessitate the field paying attention to digital infrastructures as a category of IT artifacts. A state-of-the-art review of the literature reveals a growing interest in digital infrastructures but also confirms that the field has yet to put infrastructure at the centre of its research endeavor. To assist this shift we propose three new directions for IS research: (1) theories of the nature of digital infrastructure as a separate type of IT artifact, sui generis; (2) digital infrastructures as relational constructs shaping all traditional IS research areas; (3) paradoxes of change and control as salient IS phenomena. We conclude with suggestions for how to study longitudinal, large-scale sociotechnical phenomena while striving to remain attentive to the limitations of the traditional categories that have guided IS research.
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Chatbots can help organizations in their digital and distributed innovation endeavors which demand for carefully balancing flexibility and malleability with stability and control.
“In fact, chatbots can help organizations in their digital and distributed innovation endeavors which demand for carefully balancing flexibility and malleability with stability and control (Ciriello et al. 2018a;Tilson et al. 2010;Yoo et al. 2012).”
From How affordances of chatbots cross the chasm between social and traditional enterprise systems (2020) · cites this paper as Tilson et al. 2010
The value of a digital innovation is not fixed by its original designer and extends beyond the initial offering.
“Yet, the value of the digital innovation is not pre-determined by the original designer but extends beyond the initial proposition (Tilson et al. 2010;Wareham et al. 2014;Yoo et al. 2010).”
From Recombination in the open-ended value landscape of digital innovation (2018) · cites this paper as Tilson et al. 2010
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- Authors
- Tilson, D., Lyytinen, K., & Sørensen, C.
- Affiliations
- University of Rochester (US)
- Case Western Reserve University (US)
- London School of Economics and Political Science (GB)
- Venue
- Information Systems Research
- Published
- 2010-12
- Volume
- 21
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 748-759
- ISSN
- 1047-7047 (ISSN-L)
- 1526-5536
- OpenAlex
- W2116132371
- Cited by
- 1,366
- References
- 40
- Citations by year
- 2026: 139 · 2025: 109 · 2024: 163 · 2023: 128 · 2022: 154 · 2021: 123 · 2020: 113 · 2019: 84 · 2018: 77 · 2017: 54 · 2016: 44 · 2015: 59 · 2014: 48 · 2013: 37 · 2012: 23
- FWCI
- 72.29
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Information Systems Research (publishedVersion)
- London School of Economics and Political Science Theses Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (acceptedVersion)
- Funders
- Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EP/G066426/1, EP/G066434/1)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Information Systems Theories and Implementation
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management Information Systems › Information Technology Governance and Strategy
- Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Strategy and Management › Digital Platforms and Economics
- Keywords
- digital infrastructure, information systems research agenda, IT artifacts, relational constructs, longitudinal study, mobile services, Facebook, iOS app
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