OrgInfoModule2Conceptualization1

From SandeepPurao

Module 2, Conceptualization 1: Technological Determinism

Core Readings

1. Chandler, Daniel. 1995. 'Technological or Media Determinism' [WWW document] URL http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/tecdet/tecdet.html [Visited: 4 August 2006]
   • A concise introduction to the idea of 'technological determinism' as a starting point to our discussion on ICT in organizations. See also the wikipedia entry at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_determinism
2. Bimber, B. 1990. Karl Marx and the Three Faces of Technological Determinism. Social Studies of Science. 20(2). May. pp. 333-351. Another version in Smith M R, Marx L (eds.) Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism. MIT Press, Cambridge, MA. On JSTOR
   • Outlines three schools of thought, and points to the third, 'logical sequence account' as a strongly deterministic account. Uses Marx's perspectives on the role of technology in social change as the starting point.
3. Wand, Y. & Weber, R. 1990. Toward a theory of the deep structure of information systems. In J. DeGross, M. Alavi & H. Oppelland, H. (Eds), Proceedings of the Eleventh International Conference on Information Systems (pp. 61-71). Copenhagen, 16-18 December. WandWeber1990.pdf
   • Presents the view of information systems with a realist ontology. Develops the idea that information systems have a deep structure that designers may wish to aspire to during the design process. Though it does not refer to 'technological determinism,' contributes to the perspective. See also Wand, Y., Weber, R. 1990. An Ontological Model of an Information System. IEEE Transactions on Software Engineering. Nov 1990. Vol. 16, Iss. 11; p. 1282; and Wand, Y., Weber, R. 1995. On the deep structure of information systems. Information Systems Journal. Vol. 5, Iss. 3, pp. 203-223, where the authors develop this idea.

Supplementary Readings

1. Yates, J. 1989. Communication technology and the growth of internal communication. Chapter 2 in Control through Communication, 21-64. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press (along with the foreword to the book). Yates1989
   • Describes how changes in communication technologies have lead to different genres of communication, and greater systematization and control.
2. Does Technology Drive History? The Dilemma of Technological Determinism. Edited by Merritt Roe Smith and Leo Marx. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1994. See a review of the book by Wengenroth in Technology and Culture 39.4 (1998) 755-758 At Muse