CITO Reading Group Calendar

Up one level

Reading Group July 13 2009 (Common Room, from 2009-07-13 16:00 to 2009-07-13 17:30)

Storytelling and the development of discourse in the engineering design process

Reading Group June 22 2009 (Quinn Couches, from 2009-06-22 12:45 to 2009-06-22 13:45)

Implementing, Embedding, and Integrating Practices: An Outline of Normalization Process Theory

Reading Group May 13 2008 (Quinn Couches, from 2008-05-14 16:00 to 2008-05-14 17:00)

The Entangling of Technology and Work in Organizations" by Orlikowski and Scott, February 2008 LSE Working Paper Series 168.

Reading Group Apr 11 2008 (Quinn Couches, from 2008-04-14 14:00 to 2008-04-14 16:00)

The paper proposed is: Husserl's Britannica article of 1927...

Reading Group Jan 29 2008 (Common Room, from 2008-01-29 18:00 to 2008-01-29 19:55)

The contradictions of CRM - a critical lens on call centres

Reading Group Dec 5 2007 (Montrose Hotel, Belfield, Dublin., from 2007-12-05 18:30 to 2007-12-05 19:30)

You are all invited to our special Christmas Reading Group in the Montrose Hotel on Wednesday 5th December at 6.30pm. We will gather at 6.15pm at the stairs in the Quinn School. The paper proposed is YOO, Y., BOLAND, R. J. & LYYTINEN, K. (2006) From Organization Design to Organization Designing. Organization Science, 17, 215-229 (You can find it on the UCD Electronic Library)

Reading Group Oct 31 2007 (couches in Quinn, from 2007-10-31 12:30 to 2007-10-31 13:30)

The paper proposed is GROSSMAN, R. (1980) Women's Place in the Integrated Circuit. Radical America, 14, 29-49. The focus of this article is on manufacturing operations for the mass production of computer chips in the 1970's, chips produced for multinational corporations such as Intel, AMD, Motorola, National Semiconductor, Fairchild, Hewlett-Packard.

Reading Group Oct 10 2007 (couches in Quinn, from 2007-10-10 12:30 to 2007-10-10 13:30)

The paper proposed is: Cooper, R. (1992) ‘Formal Organization as Representation: Remote Control, Displacement and Abbreviation’. In Reed, M. & Hughes, M. (eds) Rethinking Organization: New Directions in Organization Theory and Analysis, 254-272. London: Sage. The penultimate section of Cooper’s chapter considers how this type of analysis can fundamentally transform the way in which conventional approaches to formal organization structure proceed by way of statistical representations and operationalizations of supposedly fixed and unchanging dimensions. In its place, Cooper’s focus on the representational technologies facilitating control at a distance transforms these structures into dynamic socio-technical networks along which ‘the organization’ travels.” .

Reading Group May 21 2007 (couches in Quinn, from 2007-05-21 11:30 to 2007-05-21 12:30)

The paper proposed is "The order of technology: Complexity and control in a connected world" by Jannis Kallinikos, (2005) in Information and Organization 15, 185-202. This paper theorizes processes involved where ICT constitutes social institutions. In this case technology does not determine, but influences social/organizational responses by embodying its designers intentions. It considers that the diffusion of large-scale information systems (read ERP) pose challenges to strategies of functional simplification and functional closure. Technology evolves, has momentum, standardizes, interlocks, grows and solidifies social patterns (even institutional forms such as organizations) ICT is involved in "choreographing... human effort" and disseminates such involvement by transcending the boundaries of organizations and locations in the network era (as distinct from the merely computerized era).

Reading Group February 13 2007 (The Montrose Hotel, Belfield, from 2007-02-13 17:30 to 2007-02-13 19:30)

In the new year, we are continuing our quest for discovering emotions. After discussing Ciborra’s paper "The Mind or the Heart?" which was informed by Phenomenology, we will approach the topic this time with a Foucaultian perspective. In perfect harmony, we selected the following paper: MCGRATH, K. (2006) Affection not Affliction: The Role of Emotions in Information Systems and Organizational Change. Information and Organization, 16, 277-303. You get a copy of this paper from the e-library. We will gather on Tuesday 13 February at 5PM at the stairs in Quinn to trail off to the Montrose Hotel. Regards, Frank

Reading Group November 7 2006 (The Couches in Quinn, from 2006-11-07 12:30 to 2006-11-07 13:30)

"The experience of system design: a hermeneutic of organizational action" by Richard Boland and Wesley Day. This paper represents a shift away from our recent forays into 'high theory' and a return to theoretical development grounded in the empirical, or in this case the empirical as interviews and reflections from a worker in the field. BOLAND, R. J. & DAY, W. F. (1989) The Experience of System Design: A Hermeneutic of Organizational Action. Scandinavian Journal of Management, 5, 87-104. Abstract: An interpretive description of the experience of being an information system designer is developed through a series of in-depth interviews. The subject is a system analyst responsible for developing a computer system in a small organization. The study is a hermeneutic of organizational action in that it reads the text of the subject's experience and discloses structures of meaning being drawn upon during the system design process. These structures of meaning are discussed along three dimensions; the experience of moving through and being located within the organizational space, the experience of interacting with others during the task of system design and the experience of making moral choices. Contact me for directions on obtaining a copy of the paper, it can be a difficult article to source. We're a little constrained by wanting to read the paper around the time that Dick Boland himself will be in Dublin so we've decided that tuesday 7th at lunch time (12:30pm) is the best fit.

Reading Group October 5th 2006 (The Couches in Quinn, from 2006-10-05 12:30 to 2006-10-05 13:30)

In the spirit of the previous reading group, we have decided to go on with the discussion on Phenomenology and settled down on the following paper for the next CITO reding group meeting: MINGERS, J. (2001) "Embodying information systems: the contribution of phenomenology. Information and Organization" (formerly Accounting,Management and Information Technology), 11, 103-128. A copy can be got on-line. We gather on Thursday the 5th October at 12.30 PM in the meeting room (bring lunch with you). If this time and date do not suit you, please let me know. The paper's abstract can be found below. "This paper presents a case for embodying information systems. That is, for recognizing the fundamental importance of the body in human cognition and social action, and exploring the consequences for information systems and artificial intelligence. Current work within philosophy, biology, cognitive science, and social theory demonstrates that the Cartesian dualism of mind and body is no longer tenable, and points to the embodied and enactive nature of thought and language. Three different approaches to cognition are identified and their underlying philosophies are exemplified by Husserl, Heidegger, and Merleau-Ponty respectively. Sections of the paper cover: a philosophical and biological framework for embodied cognition; the main arguments in favor of the approach; and the implications for information systems and artificial intelligence."

Reading Group August 10th 2006 (The Couches in Quinn, from 2006-08-10 12:30 to 2006-08-10 13:30)

If you’re around at lunch time on Thursday 10th August, bring a sandwich or a soup and come along to discuss the next proposed reading: Introna, L.D. and Ilharco F.M. (2004) "Phenomenology, Screens, and the World: A Journey with Husserl and Heidegger into Phenomenology" in Mingers, J. and Willcocks L. (Eds) Social Theory and Philosophy for Information Systems, Wiley, Chichester, pp 56-102. "Phenomenology, as a philosophical underpinning as well as a method of investigation, is currently used in a wide range of fields such as anthropology, sociology, history, management, design, media, psychology, psychiatry, biology, mathematics, philosophy, education and so forth. It has also been used in information systems research. Although this chapter is written within this tradition of research, it will endeavour to do something more unusual. It will attempt to provide a coherent, straightforward account of phenomenology, apply it to the analysis of the phenomenon of ‘screen’, provide a critical assessment of it, and point to some existing work available to those who may want to take up the possibilities it offers. We hope the chapter will serve as a platform from which those interested can approach the literature of the phenomenology movement." (excerpted from the reading).

Reading Group May 4th 2006 (The Couches in Quinn, from 2006-05-04 12:30 to 2006-05-04 13:30)

"Interpreting e-government and development: Efficiency, transparency or governance at a distance?," Information Technology & People (18:3) 2005, pp 260-279. by Claudio Ciborra. "The paper aims to show, through the case of Jordan, how e-government is difficult to implement, given the characteristics of the local administration, the socio-economic context and the dynamics of the technological infrastructure. It also aims to ascertain more generally whether the marketisation of the state, embedded in e-government, makes sense as the paramount approach to improve democracy and foster development." The author presents the rather complicated environment for e-government development and operation and problematic aspects for small states in periphery regions (when considered in relation to much larger and more powerful central states). In particular the role of changing ICT in organisational and broader societial social relations is considered through this case study of the application of e-government initiates and innovation in the Kingdom of Jordan. n.b. Claudio Ciborra died before he could make the final revisions to this paper, Mike Cushman of the Department of Information Systems at the LSE prepared the final version for publication.

Reading Group Feb 27th 2006 (Common Room, from 2006-02-27 12:30 to 2006-02-27 13:30)

For our next Reading Group Frank Frößler has suggested "Genres of Organizational Communication: A Structurational Approach to Studying Communication and Media" by Joanne Yates and Wanda J. Orlikowski. Academy of Management Review 1992, 17-2. An early paper on 'formats' of human communication in organizations as settings for action and discussion of the implications of different media on the structure of these formats. We gather on Monday 27th at 12:30 (Lunch! Bring your own!) on the couches in one of the "Prof-Eamonn-Walshe-Break-Out-Spaces" here in the Quinn Building. Frank will introduce and moderate and help out if you have difficulty getting the reading. The reading can be obtained from our UCD Library access to Business Source Premier or ABI/INFORM Global see the event URL for details... P.S. This should be the ideal prelude to Wanda Orlikowski's NUDIMS seminar at 4pm later on the day "Digital Genres: Exploring PowerPoint in Organizational Discourse". See http://mis.ucd.ie/NuDIMS/seminars/NuDIMSFeb272002 for more info. p.p.s. After discussing the reading we're invited to the Common Room for a coffee and to meet our guest.

Reading Group Feb 14th 2006 (Common Room, from 2006-02-14 17:00 to 2006-02-14 18:45)

After much to and froing, the next reading for discussion we've selected is... "Death and Furniture: the rhetoric, politics and theology of bottom line arguments against relativism" by Derek Edwards, Malcom Ashmore and Jonathan Potter. A perhaps provocative but mostly fun (and sometimes funny) presentation of common arguments against relativism and reasonable (weasel words?) arguments against the arguments. A copy of the reading can be got from Derek Edwards' home page at Loughborough University. Health Warning! On reading this article please do not feel encouraged to emulate Dr Johnson's refutation of Bishop Berkley by indulging in demonstrations of physical feats employing the person of the discussant or any of the attendees.

Reading Group Dec 20th 2005 (Common Room, from 2005-12-20 17:00 to 2005-12-20 18:45)

"Organizing and Evaluating Interfirm Networks: A Structurationist Perspective on Network Processes and Effectiveness" by Jorg Sydow and Arnold Windeler, published in Organization Science Vol 9 No. 3 1998. Interfirm networks are considered as a kind organization and theorised using Structuration theory and praxis to analyse, explain and hypothesize about the diversity and mutability of organizational forms observed. Are interfirm networks (and strategic networks in particular) really considered as a kind of organizational form distinct from other kinds of organization? Have they reached a point at which they have achieved the status of a 'structure' in the sense of Giddens' structuration theory or is the interfirm network merely a convenient representation? For a copy of the article select the UCD Catalogue Search below for electronic resources with restricted access to the article (e.g. Business Source Premier - EBSCO will do).

Reading Group Nov 29th 2005 (Common Room, from 2005-11-29 16:30 to 2005-11-29 18:00)

You are all invited to the next CITO Reading Group on Tuesday next (November 29th) in the UCD Common Room (Newman building) commencing at 4:30pm. Hoping it isn't too early for most. The reading for discussion is from "The Social Study of Information and Communication Technology. Innovation, Actors, and Contexts", specifically chapter 9 "Framing IS studies: understanding the social context of IS innovation" by Christanthi Avgerou and Shirin Madon. This article is an approachable and broadly relevant discussion of the tricky problem of understanding the behaviour in organisations subjected to or undergoing IS implementation(s). The authors suggest "that the relevant frame for the study of IS innovation can be traced by following the network of actors involved and, consequently by examining the institutional fields that have sustained their meanings of, and the attitudes towards, the innovation under study." Avgerou, C. and Madon, S. (2004). How does one produce the research framing process they argue for and what is the focus of attention if the frame can expand or adjust as needed? Is this Actor Network Theory masquerading as research method? Bring along your social constructively critical hats for a spirited debate.

Reading Group Oct 20th 2005 (Common Room, from 2005-10-20 17:30 to 2005-10-20 18:45)

This will be an open discussion of Frank Froessler's research proposal which was recently presented at the CEMS doctorial consortium in Barcelona. The area is Unified Communication Technologies (UCT) and is intended as an in-depth case study at a multinational ICT services firm. He proposes to employ a praxiological approach to understanding the implications of UCT. Interested parties should send an email to Frank (Frank.Froessler@ucd.ie) to get a copy of this document.

Reading Group Oct 5th 2005 (Common Room, from 2005-10-05 17:30 to 2005-10-05 18:45)

The article for discussion is "On the Methods of Long Distance Control: Vessels, Navigation, and the Portuguese Route to India" by John Law, originally published in "Power, Action and Belief: A New Sociology of Knowledge?" 1986.