Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@@The Constitution of Society: Outline of the Theory of Structuration.
TL;DR: Giddens as mentioned in this paper has been in the forefront of developments in social theory for the past decade and outlines the distinctive position he has evolved during that period and offers a full statement of a major new perspective in social thought, a synthesis and elaboration of ideas touched on in previous works but described here for the first time in an integrated and comprehensive form.
Abstract: Anthony Giddens has been in the forefront of developments in social theory for the past decade. In "The Constitution of Society" he outlines the distinctive position he has evolved during that period and offers a full statement of a major new perspective in social thought, a synthesis and elaboration of ideas touched on in previous works but described here for the first time in an integrated and comprehensive form. A particular feature is Giddens' concern to connect abstract problems of theory to an interpretation of the nature of empirical method in the social sciences. In presenting his own ideas, Giddens mounts a critical attack on some of the more orthodox sociological views. "The Constitution of Society" is an invaluable reference book for all those concerned with the basic issues in contemporary social theory.
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TL;DR: In this paper, a quasi-evolutionary model of socio-technical transitions is described in which regimes face selection pressures continuously and differentiated transition contexts determine the form and direction of regime change in response to these pressures.
1,898 citations
TL;DR: The capacity to exercise control over the nature and quality of one's life is the essence of humanness as mentioned in this paper, which is characterized by the temporal extension of agency through intentionality and forethought, self-regulation by self-reactive influence, and self-reflectiveness about one's capabilities, quality of functioning, and the meaning and purpose of life pursuits.
Abstract: ▪ Abstract The capacity to exercise control over the nature and quality of one's life is the essence of humanness. Human agency is characterized by a number of core features that operate through phenomenal and functional consciousness. These include the temporal extension of agency through intentionality and forethought, self-regulation by self-reactive influence, and self-reflectiveness about one's capabilities, quality of functioning, and the meaning and purpose of one's life pursuits. Personal agency operates within a broad network of sociostructural influences. In these agentic transactions, people are producers as well as products of social systems. Social cognitive theory distinguishes among three modes of agency: direct personal agency, proxy agency that relies on others to act on one's behest to secure desired outcomes, and collective agency exercised through socially coordinative and interdependent effort. Growing transnational embeddedness and interdependence are placing a premium on collective ...
1,880 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...Social structures are created by human activity to organize, guide and regulate human affairs in given domains by authorized rules and sanctions (Burns & Dietz, in press; Giddens, 1984)....
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TL;DR: The role of technology in organizational life is discussed in this paper, where the authors examine the research that has been done on technology, and categorize this literature into two research streams according to their view of technology: discrete entities or mutually dependent ensembles.
Abstract: We begin by juxtaposing the pervasive presence of technology in organizational work with its absence from the organization studies literature. Our analysis of four leading journals in the field confirms that over 95% of the articles published in top management research outlets do not take into account the role of technology in organizational life. We then examine the research that has been done on technology, and categorize this literature into two research streams according to their view of technology: discrete entities or mutually dependent ensembles. For each stream, we discuss three existing reviews spanning the last three decades of scholarship to highlight that while there have been many studies and approaches to studying organizational interactions and implications of technology, empirical research has produced mixed and often‐conflicting results. Going forward, we suggest that further work is needed to theorize the fusion of technology and work in organizations, and that additional perspe...
1,855 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...Roberts and Grabowski ( 1996 ) draw on structuration theory (Giddens, 1984 ) to propose an integration of technology’s status as both a product and a process....
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...Roberts and Grabowski (1996) draw on structuration theory (Giddens, 1984) to propose an integration of technology’s status as both a product and a process....
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TL;DR: It is suggested that where the technological frames of key groups in organizations—such as managers, technologists, and users— are significantly different, difficulties and conflict around the development, use, and change of technology may result.
Abstract: In this article, we build on and extend research into the cognitions and values of users and designers by proposing a systematic approach for examining the underlying assumptions, expectations, and knowledge that people have about technology. Such interpretations of technology (which we call technological frames) are central to understanding technological development, use, and change in organizations. We suggest that where the technological frames of key groups in organizations—such as managers, technologists, and users— are significantly different, difficulties and conflict around the development, use, and change of technology may result. We use the findings of an empirical study to illustrate how the nature, value, and use of a groupware technology were interpreted by various organizational stakeholders, resulting in outcomes that deviated from those expected. We argue that technological frames offer an interesting and useful analytic perspective for explaining an anticipating actions and meanings that are not easily obtained with other theoretical lenses.
1,854 citations
Cites background from "Locating the 17th Book of Giddens@@..."
...schemes" ( Giddens, 1984 ), "mental models" (Schutz, 1970; Argyris and Schon, 1978),...
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...being embedded in organizational practices, routines, rituals, and programs ( Giddens, 1984;...
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...Over time, the assumptions and categories of shared cognitive structures are often externalized and institutionalized [Giddens 1984; Hedberg et al. 1976; 1977; March and Simon 1958; Schein 1985]....
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...…cognitive maps [Bougon et al. 1977; Eden 1992], frames [Goffman 1974], interpretive frames [Bartunek and Moth 1987], interpretative schemes [Giddens 1984], mental models [Argyris and Schon 1978; Shutz 1970], paradigms [Kuhn 1970; Sheldon 1980], scripts [Abelson 1981; Gioia 1986], and…...
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01 Jan 2003TL;DR: Archer as discussed by the authors identifies three distinctive forms of internal conversation, i.e., internal dialogue, internal conversation is seen as being the missing link between society and the individual, structure and agency.
Abstract: The central problem of social theory is 'structure and agency'. How do the objective features of society influence human agents? Determinism is not the answer, nor is conditioning as currently conceptualised. It accentuates the way structure and culture shape the social context in which individuals operate, but it neglects our personal capacity to define what we care about most and to establish a modus vivendi expressive of our concerns. Through inner dialogue, 'the internal conversation', individuals reflect upon their social situation in the light of current concerns and projects. On the basis of a series of unique, in-depth interviews, Archer identifies three distinctive forms of internal conversation. These govern agents' responses to social conditioning, their individual patterns of social mobility and whether or not they contribute to social stability or change. Thus the internal conversation is seen as being the missing link between society and the individual, structure and agency.
1,843 citations
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