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Cited by 2,571Information Systems Theories and ImplementationManagement and Organizational StudiesManagement Theory and Practice

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 171 of the 171 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

10 Sociomateriality: Challenging the Separation of Technology, Work and Organization

Orlikowski, Wanda J., Scott, Susan V.·2008·Academy of Management Annals
DOI 10.5465/19416520802211644
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Abstract

We begin by juxtaposing the pervasive presence of technology in organizational work with its absence from the organization studies literature. Our analysis of four leading journals in the field confirms that over 95% of the articles published in top management research outlets do not take into account the role of technology in organizational life. We then examine the research that has been done on technology, and categorize this literature into two research streams according to their view of technology: discrete entities or mutually dependent ensembles. For each stream, we discuss three existing reviews spanning the last three decades of scholarship to highlight that while there have been many studies and approaches to studying organizational interactions and implications of technology, empirical research has produced mixed and often‐conflicting results. Going forward, we suggest that further work is needed to theorize the fusion of technology and work in organizations, and that additional perspectives are needed to add to the palette of concepts in use. To this end, we identify a promising emerging genre of research that we refer to under the umbrella term: sociomateriality. Research framed according to the tenets of a sociomaterial approach challenges the deeply taken‐for‐granted assumption that technology, work, and organizations should be conceptualized separately, and advances the view that there is an inherent inseparability between the technical and the social. We discuss the intellectual motivation for proposing a sociomaterial research approach and point to some common themes evident in recent studies. We conclude by suggesting that a reconsideration of conventional views of technology may help us more effectively study and understand the multiple, emergent, and dynamic sociomaterial configurations that constitute contemporary organizational practices.

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Research works printed but not linked: 2

  1. Jones M.R., 1998, Information systems: Current issues and future challenges, 287
  2. Trist E.L., 1981, Perspectives on Organizational Design and Behavior, 19

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Metadata

Authors
Orlikowski, W. J., & Scott, S. V.
Affiliations
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (US)
ORCID
Venue
Academy of Management Annals
Publisher
Academy of Management
Published
2008-01
Volume
2
Issue
1
Pages
433-474
ISSN
  • 1941-6067 (ISSN-L)
  • 1941-6520
DOI
10.5465/19416520802211644
OpenAlex
W2058287127
Cited by
2,571
References
124
Citations by year
2026: 207 · 2025: 174 · 2024: 154 · 2023: 161 · 2022: 177 · 2021: 221 · 2020: 187 · 2019: 177 · 2018: 158 · 2017: 140 · 2016: 136 · 2015: 139 · 2014: 147 · 2013: 141 · 2012: 111
FWCI
162.64
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
Academy of Management Annals (publishedVersion, public-domain)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Management Information Systems › Information Systems Theories and Implementation
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management and Organizational Studies
  • Social Sciences › Business, Management and Accounting › Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management › Management Theory and Practice
Keywords
sociomateriality, technology in organizations, organizational practices

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