Travica / Information View of Organizations 1 Information View of Organizations: Contextualizing Technology – Technologizing Context Bob Travica University of Manitoba Tampa, Florida August 4, 2003 AMCIS 2003

Travica / Information View of Organizations 2 Rationale: State of Relationship between IS theory and Organization Theory Programmatic Proposal: Information View of Organizations (IVO) Conclusion Outline

Travica / Information View of Organizations 3 Narrow bridge between IS theory and Organization Theory (cf. Orlikowski & Barley, 2001) Rationale Organization Theory: IT on Margin of Radar Screen (cf. Clegg et al., 1996; Currie & Galliers, 1999; Hatch, 1997) IS Theory: Vanishing Point of Organizational Context (cf. Orlikowski & Barley, ibid.) Goal: Broaden the bridge between the two fields

Travica / Information View of Organizations 4 The bridge exists… Organization & Management Theory Information Systems Theory Psychology, Sociology, Economics, Decision Sciences, Human Communication, Cognitive Sciences... General Systems Theory & Special Systems Theory Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Telecommunications

Travica / Information View of Organizations 5 Organization Theory: IT not on Radar Screen IT for electronic commerce, ERP, electronic information properties & effects … but the bridge is narrow… IT one of “high technologies” Modern IT indifferent to technology typologies (Woodward, Thompson, Perrow) Some creative leads: Weick (1990), technology as equivoque (indetereministic, physical vs. metnal image of processes, high automation level

Travica / Information View of Organizations 6 IS Theory: Vanishing Point of Organizational Context … on each side  Catch the tech wind  Lonely homo informaticus – “we aren’t sociologists”  “I measure, ergo I do science”  We sell IT, practical relevance of IS field matters (trendy IT + hodge-podge of organizational issues)  And we discover, hoopla! (e.g., Chinese is more likely to be used in Peking than in New York)

Travica / Information View of Organizations 7  Oh, yeah, and we educate organization theory on the thing we are experts for – IT. So, IT is: - computer software and hardware - specific type, like , whose actual characteristics are, ahem, irrelevant - actually, a black box (Orlikowski & Iacono, 2001) - and it can also be … whack! What? Jealous Mistress! Oh, yeeeah…

Travica / Information View of Organizations 8 Programmatic Proposal Information View of Organizations (IVO) anchored both in IS and organization theory Introduce a new “view” in organization theory, comparable to structural, cultural… views Strengthen organizational context in IS theory (“views”, group theory, cognitive psychology…)

Travica / Information View of Organizations 9 Basic Terminology Information: an umbrella term, info. in a broader sense includes knowledge as well as meaningful data (information in narrower sense), wisdom, and data “Information Technology” (IT): includes cognitive components (known techniques), and material artifacts (computer, paper) for creating and manipulating information

Travica / Information View of Organizations 10 Topical Area in IVO Content / Approach in IVO Individual Cognitive aspects and information behaviors; Users as knowledge subjects and IT developers Group Cognition; decision making, organization of work etc. in conjunction with GSS Structure, Culture, Politics “Views” Reinterpretation from the perspective of information and IT Organizational Economics Relationships with IT, information, IS Systems, Process and Knowledge Views Integration into IVO Organizational Roles of Information and IT Critical examination of classical premises Ontologies and Metaphors of Organization Modernist rationality vs. alternatives; functionalist, interpretive and postmodern approaches; machine vs. brain/intelligence Possible Topical Areas in IVO

Travica / Information View of Organizations 11 Work Groups in IVO Interest in Cognitive Aspects: Group Memory; transactive memory (Moreland & Wingert (1995) Collective Mind (Yoo, 2001) Noise in Group Thinking: cognitive loafing (Shaila & Saunders, 1995), groupthink Shaping of GSS-triggered cognitive process and outcome by groups: MRT revision; IT structuration (Orlikowski); facilitation with GDSS; user drifting (Ciborra, 1996)

Travica / Information View of Organizations 12 Info/IT Formalization The extent to which written rules, procedures and instructions on handling information and IT are extant. Paper and electronic manuals of handing information and IT that are readily available. Info/IT Centralization The extent to which information and access to IT are concentrated. The number of locations at which information for making certain decisions is regularly allocated. Organizational Structure in IVO Examples:

Travica / Information View of Organizations 13 Organizational Culture in IVO  Value of documenting well problem solving;  Story on frustrated user when documenting is poor;  Signature on solution as a symbol of solution quality; Examples of cultural items related to info/IT from Orlikowski’s (1996) study of a software firm: Professional and diplomatic language used in documenting  Apprehensive attitudes toward management’s online monitoring  Showing off through online information on problems solved  Norms for accessing knowledge stored in the system

Travica / Information View of Organizations 14 Organizational Culture in IVO It is possible to conceive a part of organizational culture whose assumptions, values, symbols and practices are focused on information (in broader sense) and IT.

Travica / Information View of Organizations 15 Incorporation into IVO Systems approach Which one? System model/s useful for understanding info/IT in today’s organization? Global asymmetries. Process approach Merit? IT/info vs. social aspects in process? Relationships between process, structure and system? Possible to conceive information processes.

Travica / Information View of Organizations 16 Knowledge approach/es Beyond management, as medium for understanding organizations (IT is knowledge and knowledge is in IT) Knowledge as asset (intellectual capital) since data and much of information in narrow sense broadly accessible – no comparative advantage any longer Knowledge is object of org. culture, access to it is part of org. structure… Incorporation into IVO

Travica / Information View of Organizations 17 Organizational Roles of Information and IT Information teleology: Uncertainty reduction vs. uncertainty creation (“strategic ambiguity & creative chaos”; Nonaka & Takecuhi, 1995) IT teleology: IT as means of order & control vs. disturbance & empowerment Organization ontology: Organization as machine vs. brain, form of intelligence; E pluribus unum or Unum est pluribus

Travica / Information View of Organizations 18 Conclusion There exists ground for developing an information view of organizations (IVO) that may help broaden the bridge between IS theory and organization theory IVO can build on existing organization views as well as systems, knowledge and other established approaches More liberal and flexible philosophy of organizations and information/IT needed