Vol. 1 (2025)
Practice Theory: Past, Present, Future

Interviews

An Interview with Wanda Orlikowski: Careers and Ideas in Practice

Published 01-03-2025

  • Elizabeth Shove
    • ,
  • Manuel Baeriswyl
    • ,
  • Wanda Orlikowski

Elizabeth Shove
Sociology, Lancaster University

Manuel Baeriswyl
Institute of Marketing and Communication Management, Università della Svizzera italiana (USI), Lugano

Wanda Orlikowski
Sloan School of Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

An abstract image of fish based on Escher.

Abstract

Starting from an early interest in Information Systems research and digital technology, Wanda Orlikowski came across social science by accident. From that moment on, she has sought to change the ways in which work, technology, and organizing are thought about, especially in the field of management studies. Her research focuses on the dynamic interplay between technology and organizations, and on how organizing structures, cultural norms, communication patterns, and work practices are reconfigured over time. Her notable contribution lies in applying Anthony Giddens' structuration theory to analyze the adoption and utilization of technologies within organizational settings. In this interview, she takes us through the stages of these metamorphoses and describes her approach, from questioning structures and their effects to detailed ethnographic studies of technologies in action.

Keywords

organizing, sociomateriality, structure, technology, work

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References

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