In the age of the smart machine: the future of work and power
In the age of the smart machine: the future of work and power
Social change and the future of information systems development
Critical issues in information systems research
Four paradigms of information systems development
Communications of the ACM
Organizational structure and information technology
Organizational structure and information technology
Learning from Notes: organizational issues in groupware implementation
CSCW '92 Proceedings of the 1992 ACM conference on Computer-supported cooperative work
Information systems development and data modeling: conceptual and philosophical foundations
Information systems development and data modeling: conceptual and philosophical foundations
A review on the use of action research in information systems studies
Proceedings of the IFIP TC8 WG 8.2 international conference on Information systems and qualitative research
Diversity in information systems action research methods
European Journal of Information Systems
Growing systems in emergent organizations
Communications of the ACM
A set of principles for conducting and evaluating interpretive field studies in information systems
MIS Quarterly - Special issue on intensive research in information systems
Understanding Computers and Cognition: A New Foundation for Design
Understanding Computers and Cognition: A New Foundation for Design
A Paradigmatic Analysis Contrasting Information Systems Development Approaches and Methodologies
Information Systems Research
Style composition in action research publication
MIS Quarterly
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The organizational structure of a new startup 'venture', including its business strategy, is strongly shaped by processes embedded within its developing e-commerce information system. An important question here and in general IS research is the role of individuals (agents) in the shaping and interpreting of both technological and organizational structures (structure). Various questions drawn from Giddens' (1984) structuration theory are used to highlight this agency-structure relationship, and initial results from an action research study within an e-commerce startup involved in developing an on-line "pop culture" magazine are described. Results indicate that at the outset, the e-commerce technology was shaped by two opposing groups within the organization, focused on the business-to-consumer market. Once the system was completed, however, the various agents perceived tremendous business-to-business possibilities in the software. Consequently, they initiated a process to alter their strategic focus, and transformed their organizational processes. Future research directions of this "dog wagging its tail," and "tail wagging the dog" story toward systems development practice and research, and Giddens' structuration theory are discussed. Implications for e-commerce practice and research are discussed.