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Dialectics of Collective Minding: Contradictory Appropriations of Information Technology in a High-Risk Project

2012 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0
Authors: Carlo, Jessica Luo; Lyytinen, Kalle; Boland, Jr., Richard J.

Abstract: In unpredictable and unforgiving environments, organizations need to act with ca ... Expand

Abstract: In unpredictable and unforgiving environments, organizations need to act with care and reliability, often referred to as collective mindfulness. We present a theory-generating, interpretative field study of a highly complex and successful building project by architect Frank O. Gehry. We argue that what has been labeled collective mindfulness is only possible through a dialectic process of collective minding, in which organizational actors simultaneously exhibit elements of being mindful and mindless. Our analysis reveals that collective minding emerges from struggling with contradictions in the five elements of mindfulness. We argue that when actors struggle with these dialectic tensions, the same information technology capabilities are enacted as multiple, contradictory technologies-in-practice. Implications for the further study of collective minding and the appropriation of IT capabilities are discussed. Collapse

Semantic filters: steel construction

Topics: mindfulness affordance information technology capability usability anonymity

Methods: field study qualitative interview theory development simulation qualitative coding

Theories: theory of affordance
"In Case of Fire, Please Use the Elevator": Simulation Technology and Organization in Fire Engineering
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2007 | Organization Science | Citations: 0
Authors: Dodgson, Mark; Gann, David M.; Salter, Ammon

Abstract: Interorganizational projects can provide a vehicle for innovation, despite the p ... Expand

Abstract: Interorganizational projects can provide a vehicle for innovation, despite the professional and organizational barriers that confront this form of organizing. The case of fire engineering shows how such projects use simulation technology as a boundary object to foster innovation in a new organizational field. Engineers use simulation technology to produce radical changes in fire control and management, such as using elevators to evacuate buildings during emergencies. A framework is developed that explores how decisions can be reached and tensions resolved amongst multiple, diverse, and discordant actors striving for a shared appreciation of negotiated futures. This framework extends theories of engineering knowledge and boundary objects. It sheds new light on how to organize collective, knowledge-based work to produce reliable and innovative designs. Collapse

Semantic filters: steel construction

Topics: innovation management telephone terrorist incident organizational change information system use

Methods: simulation qualitative interview field study participant observation theoretical contribution

Theories: boundary objects theory

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Dialectics of Collective Minding: Contradictory Appropriations of Information Technology in a High-Risk Project

"In Case of Fire, Please Use the Elevator": Simulation Technology and Organization in Fire Engineering