Week 10-Structuration Theory



Structuration Theory was proposed  by Anthony Giddens in the year  1984  [1]. The basic concept of Structuration lies in the fact that there was a growing debate between agency and structure. By agency, we mean  humans and by structures we mean rules and regulations. In any given scenario, Giddens suggests that it is impossible  for only the agent or the structure to have the desired autonomy. According to him, both  agent and structure work together. It is kind of a feedback-feedforward mechanism. Agents draw upon existing structures to perform social actions. On the other hand, structure is a result of the existing social practices. Agents and structures mutually enact social systems, and social systems in turn become part of that duality [2].

Class Readings
1. Rose and Sheepers, (2001) Structuration Theory And Information System Development - Frameworks For Practice,

http://tinyurl.com/lppupqg

2. Orlikowski, W.J. and Robey, D. (1991). Information Technology and the Structuring of Organizations. Information Systems

Research, 2 (2), 143-169. http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.94.9155&rep=rep1&type=pdf

3. DeSanctis, G., & Poole, M. S. (1994). Capturing the complexity in advanced technology use: Adaptive structuration theory.

Organization Science, 5(2), 121-147

http://www.business.unr.edu/faculty/davec/adaptive%20structuration%20theory%20poole%20and%20desanctis.pdf

4. Harrison, Pardo, Gil-Garcia, Thompson, Juraga, (2007) Geographic Information Technologies, Structuration Theory, and the World Trade Center Crisis

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/asi.20695/pdf

Weekly Essay
Write a single, coherent essay. Discuss the basic elements of structuration.Critique the theory. Show how you could use Structuration to address an area within your own area of research.

My essay here

Comments on the essay here

Other Class Resources
.Other Resources on the web that were discussed in class.