Theorising complex worlds: beyond information infrastructures

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Theorising complex worlds beyond information
infrastructures ?
Eric Monteiro PhD days Sept. 2005
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Motivation (easy part)

• socio-technical, beyond the cliché
• dynamic, not static
• translational
• process-perspective
• larg-ish (infrastructures)
• systemic
• not isolated / modularised / stand-alone

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Motivation (or challenge)

• Changing worlds
• fragmentation of work
• dis-embedding
• seperation, re-distribution, recombination
• ex. outsourcing, health, shipping
• Ordering efforts
• immanent heterogenity
• ex. quantification (census, forestry, grace)
• Complex knowledge (a la Tsoukas)
• modularisation breaks down
• what how - theorising

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Cosmology
Large systems - installed base, gw
ANT
Econ. of standards - network externalities,
lock-in
Risk, reflex. modern. - side-effects
Normal accidents - complexity, tightly coupled
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Cosmology
Multiple objects -dis-continuity
Commodification - carriers, gifts vs.
commodities
Large systems - installed base, gw
Practice lens - performative, enactment
ANT
Econ. of standards - network externalities,
lock-in
Formalisation - order disorder, no iron grid
Risk, reflex. modern. - side-effects
Normal accidents - complexity, tightly coupled
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Phase I
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Phase II
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Phase II, 5
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Phase III
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Enter IS

• IS use of ANT (almost only) confined to Phase I
• moderate use of Phase II
• risk inherent mess heterogenity
  standardiation

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narratives complexity ?
modes of inquiry
ways of knowing
conceptualising