The duality of technology
Rethinking the consept of technology inorganizations
Wanda Orlikowski
The duality of technology?
Exists two teoretical models for the interactionbetwen technology and organizations:
Technology is an objective, external forcethat have deterministic impact on
organizational structure
Technology is the outcome of strategicchoice and social action
Orlikowski: 'The both view areincomplete.'
He wants to reconseptualize the existingteoretical models and overcome the dualisms
Sugest a new consept of technology
Propose a structuration model of technology byinvestigating the relationship between
technology and organizations
The new consept of technology
Underscores:
The socio-historical context of technology
The dual nature of technology - as objectivereality and as socialy constructed products
Two important aspects oftechnology are:
Scope – what is defined as comprisingtechnology
Role – what is the interection betweentechnology and organizations
2 views of the Scope of Technology
have shaped studies of technology:
Technology as 'hardware' – equipment,machines and instruments that humans use in
productive activities
Multiple, context-specific definitions oftechnology
The Orlikowski's 'Scope'
restricts the scope to material artifacts (variousconfigurations of hardware and software)
makes a theoretical distingction between thematerial nature of technology and the human
activities that design and use the artifacts
lookes at the material artifacts as the outcomeof coordinated human action and hence as
inherently social.
3 views of the Role of Technology
1. The „technologicalimperative“ model:
2.ignores the action ofhumans indeveloping,appropriating andchanging technology.
− Organizationaldimensions
− Technology
3 views of the Role of Technology
1.2.The 'Strategicchoice' model:
2.Technology is not anexternal object, but aproduct of ongoinghuman action, designand appropriation.
Organizational context
Technology
Decision-Makers
3 views of the Role of Technology
3. Model oftechnology as triggerof structural change:
technology is anintervention into therelationship betweenhuman agents andorganizationalstructure, whichpotentialy changes it.
OrganizationalStructure (with technology)
OrganizationalStructure(without technology)
Human agentsHuman agents
TIME
The Orlikowski's 'Role'
Orlikowski is framing the role of technology interms of a mutual interaction between human
agents and technology, and hence as bothstructural and socially constructed
The Teory of Structuration
Structuration is a social process that involvesthe reciprocal interaction of human actors and
structural features of organizations
Human actions are enabled and constrained bystructures
The structures are the results of previoushuman actions
Giddens' (1984) vsOrlikowski's(1992) Structurational
ModelGiddens (social theory field) does not explicitly
address the issue of technology in hisstructuration paradigm
Orlikowski employed Giddens' Model ofStructuration and first looks at the technology
form the point of view of structuration andconsider the thechnology as a structural property
of organizations
Giddens' (1984) theory ofstructuration
Posed at the level of society
The structurational processes are relevant atmultiple levels of analysis – interorganizational,
organizational, group and individual levels
The structurational processes describing thereciprocal interaction of social actors and
institutional properties
The Gidden's theory of structuration
Is a solution to the dilema of chosing betweensubjective and objective conceptions oforganizations; Embrace both dimensions
Human actors are enabled and constrained bystructures, structures that are result of previousactions
Structural properties consist of Rules andResourses
In the Gidden's theory ofstructuration
The recognition that actors are knowledgableand reflexive is a central premise.
Reflexivity refers to the capacity of humans toroutinely observe and understand what they are
doing while they are doing.
Giddens distinguishes 2 types ofknowledge
Discursive – the knowledge that actors are ableto articulate (what is said)
Practical – the tacit knowledge, which actors areable to draw on in actions, but unable to express
(what is simply done)
Duality of structure
Through the folowing formulation Giddensovercomes the dualizm between objective,
structural features of organizations andsubjective, knowledgable action of human
agents
Giddens' formulation of theDuality of structure
Through the regular action of knowledgable andreflexive actors, patterns of interactions
become established as standartized practices inorganizations (e.g., ways of manufacturing a
product, coordinating a meeting, or evaluating anemployee)
Giddens' formulation of theDuality of structure
Over time, habitual use of such practiceseventualy becomes institutionalized, forming the
structural properties of organizations. Thesestructural or institutionalized properties
(structure) are drawn on by humans in theirongoing interactions (agency), even as such use,in turn, reinforces the institutionalized properties.
3 fundamental elements of socialinteraction
When humans act in organizations, they createand recreate:
Meaning is created through interpretive schemsof knowledge
Power is a 'transformative capacity' of thehuman actions that changes the social and
material world Norms (from an agency perspective) are
organizational rules governing an appropriateconduct
2 main Premises of a StructurationalModel of Technology
Suggested by Orlikowski:
Duality of technology – technology is createdand chandged by human action, yet it is alsoused by humans to accomplish some action
Technology is interpretively flexible becausethe interaction of technology and organizations isa function of different actors and it is dependent
of the socio-historical context of technology'sdevelopment and use
Components of the Structurationalmodel of Technology
Human agents – technology designers, users,decision-makers
Technology – material artifacts mediating taskexecution in the workplace
Institutional properties of organizations –structural arrangement, business strategies,
ideology, culture, control mechanizms, standartoperating procedures, division of labor,
expertise, communication patterns...
Structurational model of Technology
Technology
InstitutionalProperties
HumanAgents
c
d
a
b
Type of influence:a – Technology as a
product of Human Actionb – Technology as a
Medium of Human actionc – institutional conditions
of interaction withtechnology
d – institutionalconsequences ofinteraction withtechnology
Structurational model of Technology
Technology
InstitutionalProperties
HumanAgents
c
d
a
b
Arrow aType of influence -
Technology as a productof Human Action
Nature of influence –technology is anoutcome of such humanaction as design,development,appropriation, andmodification
Technology is a product of humanaction (arrow a)
The Interpretive flexibility of technologyoperates in two modes of interaction:
In the Design mode – human agents build intotechnology certain interpretive schemes
In the Use mode – the users always have theelement of control when interacting with the
technology
Structurational model of Technology
Technology
InstitutionalProperties
HumanAgents
c
d
a
b
Arrow bType of influence:
Technology as a Mediumof Human action
Nature of influence:Technology facilitates and
constrains human actionthrough the provision ofinterpretive schemes,faciliteies, and norms
Structurational model of Technology
Technology
InstitutionalProperties
HumanAgents
c
d
a
b
Arrow cType of influence -
institutional conditions ofinteraction with technology
Nature of influence –Institutional propertiesinfluence human in theirinteraction with technology,f. ex., intentions,professional norms, state ofthe art in materials andknowledge, designstandarts, and availableresources (time, money,skills)
Structurational model of Technology
Technology
InstitutionalProperties
HumanAgents
c
d
a
b
Arrow dType of influence -
institutionalconsequences ofinteraction withtechnology
Nature of influence –interaction with technologyinfluence the institutionalproperties of anorganization, throughreinforcing or transformingstructures of signification,domination, andlegitimation
Structurational model of Technologyin use
Orlikowski is interpreting the findigs of a fieldresearch study in a large, multi-national software
consulting company – Beta Corporation
What the structuration model inpractice means?
The diverse interactions with technology mayboth shape and be shaped by new forms of
organizing.
Thank you!