Marlei Pozzebon

Challenges in Conducting Empirical Work Using Structuration Theory: Learning from IT Research

Giddens’s structuration theory is increasingly used as an alternative approach to studying numerous organizational phenomena. However, the applicability of Giddens’s concepts is not without difficulties because of two main challenges. First, structuration theory is complex, involving concepts and general propositions that operate at a high level of abstraction. Second, structuration theory is not easily coupled to any specific research method or methodological approach, and it is difficult to apply empirically. Arguing that structuration theory is a valuable framework for a rich understanding of management, organization and related subjects of inquiry, this paper aims to improve the application of structuration theory in empirical work by drawing on the experience in information technology (IT) research. It identifies patterns of use of Giddens’s theory in publications in the domain of IT, and then describes how IT researchers have attempted to address its major empirical challenges. The paper presents a repertoire of research strategies that might guide students of organization in dealing with three elements that are central to structuration theory: duality of structure, time/space and actors’ knowledgeability.

Managing sustainability with the support of business intelligence: Integrating socio-environmental indicators and organisational context

In this paper we explore how management of sustainability in organisations can be supported by business intelligence (BI) systems. We suggest that BI has an important role to play in helping organisations implement and monitor sustainable practices. We pay particular attention to one phase of any BI project, the information planning phase, i.e., the systematic way of defining relevant information in order to integrate it in reporting activities. Using grounded theory, the main contribution of our study is to propose a conceptual model that seeks to support the process of integration of socio-environmental indicators into organizational strategy for sustainability.

Global–local negotiations for implementing configurable packages: The power of initial organizational decisions

Abstract The purpose of this paper is to draw attention to the critical influence that initial organizational decisions regarding power and knowledge balance between internal members and external consultants have on the global–local negotiation that characterizes configurable packages implementation. To do this, we conducted an intensive research study of a configurable information technology (IT) implementation project in a Canadian firm.

Conducting and Evaluating Critical Interpretive Research: Examining Criteria as a Key Component in Building a Research Tradition

The collection, analysis, and interpretation of empirical materials are always conducted within some broader understanding of what constitutes legitimate inquiry and valid knowledge. In the Information Systems field, there are wellknown and widely accepted methodological principles consistent with the conventions of positivism. However, the same is not yet true of interpretive research. The emergence of interpretivism in IS research was advocated by Walsham (1995) and corroborated by a series of special issues in outstanding IS journals. An example of the effort to advance the legitimacy of studies grounded in an interpretive position is the set of principles suggested by Klein and Myers (1999), which applies mostly to hermeneutics.However, because not all interpretive studies are built on a hermeneutical philosophical base, they recommended that other researchers, representing other forms of interpretivism, suggest additional principles. This paper follows in this vein, advocating the timely emergence of a critical interpretive perspective in IS research and pressing the argument that an extended version of Golden-Biddle and Locke’s (1993) criteria is not only appropriate but comprehensive as initial guidelines for conducting and evaluating critical interpretive research. Critical interpretive research, research criteria, intensive research, qualitative research

Integrating sustainability into business practices: learning from Brazilian firms

This paper proposes a conceptual model to facilitate incorporation of sustainability into business practices, learning from the context of companies operating in Latin America – more specifically, in Brazil – that excel in terms of sustainability initiatives. Five large companies recognized as leaders in sustainability practices were studied using the grounded theory method. The main result of our study is the identification of a number of influential factors, interconnected according to three broad categories – corporate view, organizational structure and organizational mechanisms – allowing a better understanding of the integration of sustainability into business practices.

The Role of ICT in Helping Parallel Paths Converge: Microcredit and Correspondent Banking in Brazil

Abstract Two important phenomena in the financial sector have drawn attention in recent years: on the one hand, microcredit is growing and earning renown as a powerful instrument for income generation and poverty reduction in a number of developing countries; on the other hand, correspondent banking (CB) outlets have risen to prominence as a main channel for the distribution of financial services to the low- income population, with particular success in Brazil. This paper argues that information and communication technology (ICT) applications have the potential to help these two movements, until now tracing parallel paths, to converge. We apply an emergent conceptual framework that combines three theoretical lenses: social shaping of technology, structurationist view of technology and contextualism. The result is an original reading of the possible combinations of CB and microfinance in Brazil and the expectation that the multilevel framework might help to understand similar complex phenomena in other Latin America contexts.

The Dynamics of Client–Consultant Relationships: Exploring the Interplay of Power and Knowledge

In this paper, we investigate the dynamics of client–consultant relationships and analyze how power and knowledge are shared and negotiated between consultants and clients during the implementation of configurable technologies. Empirical evidence is provided by three case studies representing three classic types of client–consultant relationships. We draw on two complementary perspectives: possession view (i.e., power and knowledge are based on resources that can be owned or controlled by individuals) and practice view (i.e., power and knowledge are relational in nature and exercised in action). The paper develops a framework that shows that power and knowledge are closely intertwined and that the possession and practice views are complementary in understanding configurable technology projects. The paper also demonstrates the importance of the initial set-up of the project and how knowing/powering mechanisms can reinforce or change implementation trajectories, which, in turn, can affect project results.

Local adaptations of generic application systems: the case of Veiling Holambra in Brazil

This paper focuses on local adaptations, referring to the significant or subtle changes local firms make in their local business processes and rules in order to fit with a generic application system, and to the changes they make in the features of a generic application system. Local adaptations are therefore bidirectional in nature. Although several studies stress the importance of local adaptations for the overall success of information technologies (IT) used across locations, more research is needed regarding what kind of local adaptations are required for a particular generic application system to work well in particular localities. The nature and extent of local adaptations are still poorly understood. This paper provides a concrete illustration of a historically situated local adaptation: the case of Veiling Holambra. This Brazilian cooperative has imported a generic auction marketplace model from Holland and adapted it to local conditions, to succeed in a globalized and competitive flower market. Using concepts drawn from studies on globalization, cross-cultural implementations, and IT-based organizational change literature, we put forward three propositions that help to explain the success of local adaptations. The results of our case study indicate that the immigration of Dutch people was critical for bringing knowledge of cooperative structure and flower production to Holambra and led to a relatively small design-use gap. The ability to take local, contextual requirements into account without neglecting the ‘generic’ knowledge led to the successful implementation of the generic auction model. This mutual influence was particularly enabled by the Brazilian culture of improvization.

Theorizing ICT and Society in the Brazilian Context: a Multilevel, Pluralistic and Remixable Framework

In this paper we present a multilevel and pluralistic conceptual framework that is particularly useful for Brazilian researchers investigating information and communication technology (ICT) based social changes from a community/societal level of analysis. The framework is influenced by three theoretical perspectives: social shaping of technology, structurationist view of technology and contextualism. It integrates four main concepts - relevant social groups, interpretive frames, negotiation and technology-in-practice - organized in terms of three dimensions - context, process and content. The framework, already applied to 12 different research projects led by Brazilian scholars during the last four years, is seen as a work in permanent transformation and open to reuse, revision, remix and constant revalidation.

Criação de uma escola brasileira de pesquisa internacional em sistemas da informação: oportunidades e desafios

Presentation of the forum on social applications and impacts of the use of information and communication technology in Latin America.