Information and Communication Technologies in Action: Linking Theories and Narratives of Practice

by Browning; Larry Davis

• ISBN13: 9780415965460
• ISBN10: 0415965462
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2008-01-22
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

This book combines 20 stories from a variety of organizations with a selection of nine theories, both mainstream and emerging. The stories introduce readers to individuals talking about how they communicate today via information and communication technologies (ICTs) in business or organizational contexts. The theories, presented in accessible language, illuminate the implicit patterns in these stories. This book demonstrates how and why these technologies are used under myriad circumstances.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xiii
Introduction	p. xv
Stories as Sources of Information	p. xvi
The Narrative Approach	p. xvi
Concepts in the book	p. xviii
Practical Questions - Stories/Concepts	p. xx
Story Summaries	p. xxii
Media Choice and ICT Use	p. 27
Determinism or Social Construction?	p. 27
Technological Determinism: Richness and Conscious Choice	p. 28
Visual Representation of Media Richness Theory	p. 28
The Social Construction of ICTs	p. 30
Social Influence Model	p. 30
Dual Capacity Model	p. 31
Comparing Deterministic and Social Constructionist Perspectives	p. 33
Pulling Theory Together to Guide an Understanding of Narratives of ICT Use	p. 34
The Role of Credibility and Trust in ICT Studies: Understanding the Source, Message, Media, and Audience	p. 37
Source Credibility	p. 37
Message Credibility	p. 40
Media Credibility	p. 41
Audience Considerations	p. 42
Fluid Model Depicting Credibility Considerations	p. 42
Relating Theory to Practice	p. 43
Factors Affecting Overall Perceptions of Credibility	p. 43
Rogers' Diffusion of Innovations	p. 47
Rate of Adoption	p. 48
Opinion Leadership and Peer Leadership	p. 49
Examining ICTs as an Innovation in Norway and the U.S.	p. 50
The Relativity and Uncertainty of Innovations	p. 51
Boosterism and Criticism in Diffusion Research	p. 52
Characteristics of an Innovation	p. 52
Communication Channels as a Special Type of Innovation	p. 53
Summary	p. 55
A Garbage Can Model of Information Communication Technology Choice	p. 57
Problems	p. 59
Solutions	p. 59
Participants	p. 60
Choice Opportunities	p. 61
The Status and Application of Garbage Can Theory	p. 61
Garbage Can Patterns in the Cases	p. 62
Impression Management and ICTs	p. 65
Manipulation and Ethics in Impression Management	p. 66
Goffman's Work on Impression Management	p. 67
Impression Management and ICTs	p. 69
Enactment and Sensemaking in Organizations	p. 73
Weick's Theory of Organizing	p. 74
Ecological Change, Enactment, Selection and Retention	p. 75
Sensemaking	p. 76
Sensemaking and Enactment	p. 77
Seven Properties of Sensemaking	p. 77
Coupling ICTs and Enactment	p. 78
The relationship between Enactment and ICTs	p. 79
The Enactment of Cause Maps	p. 80
Roos and Hall's Cause Map of the Policy Domain of an ECU	p. 81
A Composite Map of Three Cases	p. 82
Summary	p. 83
Giddens' Structuration Theory and ICTs	p. 85
Reflexivity and the Duality of Structure	p. 86
Adaptive Structuration Theory	p. 88
Time-Space Relations	p. 90
Summary	p. 91
Complexity Theories and ICTs	p. 93
Complexity and Organizations	p. 94
Fundamentals of Complexity: Nonlinearity and Self-Organization in Complex Adaptive Systems	p. 96
Nonlinearity	p. 97
Complex Adaptive Systems	p. 97
Characteristics of CAS	p. 98
Four Characteristics of CAS and their Relevance to Organizations	p. 99
Emergence	p. 100
Bifurcation Points and Prigogine's Theory of Dissipative Structures	p. 101
Dissipative Structures	p. 101
The Formation of Dissipative Structures	p. 102
Conclusion	p. 103
ICT and Culture	p. 105
The Relationship Between Culture and ICTs	p. 106
Organizational Culture	p. 107
Subcultural Influence	p. 109
National Culture - Hofstede's Perspective	p. 111
Hofstede's Four Dimensions of Cultural Differences	p. 112
Norwegian and U.S. scores on Hofstede's 4 Dimensions	p. 113
Power Distance Index (PDI)	p. 113
Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)	p. 113
Individualism/Collectivism (IDV)	p. 114
Materiality/Sociality Index (MSI)	p. 115
Reflexivity of ICTs and Culture	p. 116
Relating Theory to Practice	p. 116
The Frustrated Professor	p. 119
Gunnar's Goals and Intentions	p. 120
The Web-Based Learning Arena	p. 121
Students Resist Web Learning	p. 122
Gunnar's Payoff	p. 123
Fear of Being the "Old" Professor	p. 124
Follow the Leader?	p. 125
Conclusion	p. 125
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 126
Teaching the Good Old Boys New Tricks: Taking ICTs to the Bank	p. 127
A CFO's ICT Use	p. 128
Extensive Use of Email	p. 128
Occasional Use of Other Media	p. 129
Extensive Use of the Web in Her Job	p. 130
ICT Preference Differences Are OK	p. 132
Banking Changes Create a Need for a New Banking Culture	p. 132
Conclusion	p. 134
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 135
From Blunt Talk to Kid Gloves: The Importance of Adaptability Across Culture	p. 137
Openness About Ecological Practices	p. 138
Creating a New Corporate Culture at NorFood	p. 139
Karen's Communication Strategies	p. 140
Communicating With People To Demonstrate Their Value	p. 142
Conclusion	p. 144
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 145
Slowing Down in the Fast Lane	p. 147
Be Conscious of the Person Receiving Your Communication	p. 149
Choose an ICT that is Adaptive and Move On	p. 150
Shape the Behavior of Peers to Match Your Preferences	p. 150
Have Strategies to Get You Better Information	p. 151
Communicate Efficiently in a Slowed-Down World	p. 152
Conclusion	p. 152
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 153
Serving the Customer Locally Without Moving There: How to Use ICTs to Project a Local Presence	p. 155
Working Across Different Business Cultures and National Regulations	p. 155
Projecting a Local Presence	p. 158
Distance and Media Usage	p. 159
Organizational Learning and Emergent Strategy	p. 160
Conclusion	p. 162
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 163
Overloaded But Not Overwhelmed: Communication in Inter-Organizational Relationships	p. 165
What Causes Information Overload?	p. 165
Strategies for Handling Overload	p. 167
Conclusion	p. 171
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 172
Depending on the Kindness of Strangers: Using Newsgroups for Just-in-Time Learning	p. 173
Just-in-Time Learning	p. 173
Asking Questions on a Newsgroup	p. 174
Role of Culture	p. 175
Socialization of Fresh Newgroup Members	p. 176
Conflicting Rules	p. 177
Who Are the Digital Philanthropists?	p. 177
Conclusion	p. 178
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 179
Building a Medical Community Using Remote Diagnosis: The Story of DocNet	p. 181
Starting DocNet	p. 182
Excitement in Spite of Struggles	p. 184
Defining the Success of DocNet	p. 184
Sharing of Knowledge	p. 186
Security Issues	p. 186
Conclusion	p. 187
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 188
Don't Get Between Me and My Customer: How Changing Jobs Shifts ICT Use	p. 189
Working in the Virtual Office	p. 190
Using ICTs for Sales and Marketing	p. 191
ICT Changes Resulting from a Different Career	p. 193
Conclusion	p. 195
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 196
Fighting Uncertainty With Intelligence	p. 197
NorthCell's Challenge	p. 198
The Nature of Competitive Intelligence	p. 198
Ambiguity and Uncertainty	p. 198
Responding to the Requirements of Uncertainty and Speed	p. 200
CI Information Dissemination and Media Choice	p. 205
Conclusion	p. 206
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 206
Close Up ... From a Distance: Using ICTs for Managing International Manufacturing	p. 207
Using a Third Party to Manage Confidentiality	p. 207
An Example of the Order Process	p. 208
Selective Communication and the Need to Know	p. 210
Communication Within His Own Company	p. 211
Deciding When to Use Different ICTs	p. 213
Conclusion	p. 214
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 215
Over the Hill but on Top of the World: An Atypical Salesperson	p. 217
Overcoming the Odds with Adaptability and Honesty	p. 217
Resourceful Usage of ICTs	p. 219
Strategies for Overcoming Remoteness	p. 220
Optimizing Media Usage with Suppliers	p. 221
Using the Web to Enhance Credibility	p. 222
Conclusion	p. 223
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 224
The Role of ICTs in Maintaining Personal Relationships Across Distance and Cultures	p. 225
Media Preferences Across Cultures	p. 226
Distance and Media Choice	p. 227
The Primacy of Email Over Other Media	p. 227
Managing Private Relationships	p. 228
The Internet as a Two-Way Source	p. 229
Email Etiquette	p. 230
The Richness of Face-To-Face Communication	p. 231
On Being Constantly Available and Modern Office Spaces	p. 231
Conclusion	p. 232
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 233
One in the Hand is Worth Two on the Web: Relying on Tradition When Selling Financial Services	p. 235
The Client Strategy	p. 235
Displaying Information	p. 237
Website Interaction	p. 237
Learning From the Pizza Guy	p. 237
Increasing Website Visitors-Lurkers vs. Clients	p. 238
Partnerships	p. 239
The Structure of Ed's Firm and the Integration of His Personal Life	p. 240
Conclusion	p. 240
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 241
Do What You Do Well and Outsource the Rest... Even Guarded Information	p. 243
CommMeets as Useful ICTs	p. 244
The Importance of Face-to-Face Communication in Sales	p. 246
Partnering for Trust	p. 246
Conclusion	p. 248
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 249
Orchestrating Communication: The Process of Selling in the Semiconductor Market	p. 251
The Web of Behind-the-Scenes Relationships	p. 251
Using ICTs to Overcome the Imperfect Organizational System	p. 253
Conclusion	p. 257
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 258
Nothing Fishy Going on Here: Tracing the Quality of the Seafood Product	p. 259
Fisheries: a Vital Part of Norway's Economy	p. 259
The Regulatory Problem	p. 260
The Commercial Problem	p. 260
The Technical Problem	p. 261
Solutions	p. 262
The Value of Automating the Production Process	p. 264
The Doubled-Edged Sword of Traceable Information	p. 265
Conclusion	p. 266
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 266
From Information to Emotion: The Changing Use of ICTs Following the 9/11 Tragedy	p. 267
The Case	p. 267
StrategyFirst's Work Culture	p. 268
Barbara's Role in StrategyFirst	p. 268
Barbara's Use of the Internet	p. 269
Barbara's Private Business and Social Use of ICTs	p. 270
Barbara in New York City After 9/11	p. 270
Barbara in New York City After 9/11	p. 272
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 273
Give Me a Cellphone and I'll Give You Trouble: Technology Usage in a Young Start-Up	p. 275
Using Email and the Internet Productively	p. 276
The Unitended Consequences of ICT Use	p. 278
Communication Technologies in the Public and Private Domain	p. 280
Conclusion	p. 281
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 282
Information Will Get You to Heaven	p. 283
Banned From Pursuing His Own Family Genealogy	p. 283
Networking as a Key Source of Information	p. 284
Email for Sharing Information	p. 285
His Elaborate Storage and Backup System	p. 286
The Challenge of Collecting Credible Information	p. 287
Conclusion	p. 289
Questions for Review or Discussion	p. 290
Postscript: The Source of Our Stories	p. 291
Index	p. 293
About the Authors	p. 302
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