About Appropriation of Mobile Applications - The Applicability of Structural Features and Spirit
Author
Summary, in English
This paper presents early findings of a study on how users appropriate a computerised mobile system
designed to administer service orders. The theoretical lens used was Adaptive Structuration Theory
(AST) and focused on Structural Features, Spirit and Appropriation of Structure. In order to
accomplish the purpose, two aspects were to be considered: the system’s structure and the user’s
appropriation, because the structure of a system affects the appropriation of the system. The study was
conducted at a large international company’s Swedish subsidiary operating in heavy industry,
machines and transportation. The methods used were a blend of several instruments, such as
analysing documents, observations and interviews. These qualitative empirical data were analysed
from the perspective of AST. The initial results demonstrate that some of the tested constructs within
AST are not applicable to computerised mobile information and therefore some adjustments must be
made in AST to fit the mobile computing domain. In order to test these results further, at least two
possible strategies lie ahead: either a closer study of the underlying assumptions of Structural
Features and Spirit or a broader test of more of the propositions in the AST framework.
designed to administer service orders. The theoretical lens used was Adaptive Structuration Theory
(AST) and focused on Structural Features, Spirit and Appropriation of Structure. In order to
accomplish the purpose, two aspects were to be considered: the system’s structure and the user’s
appropriation, because the structure of a system affects the appropriation of the system. The study was
conducted at a large international company’s Swedish subsidiary operating in heavy industry,
machines and transportation. The methods used were a blend of several instruments, such as
analysing documents, observations and interviews. These qualitative empirical data were analysed
from the perspective of AST. The initial results demonstrate that some of the tested constructs within
AST are not applicable to computerised mobile information and therefore some adjustments must be
made in AST to fit the mobile computing domain. In order to test these results further, at least two
possible strategies lie ahead: either a closer study of the underlying assumptions of Structural
Features and Spirit or a broader test of more of the propositions in the AST framework.
Department/s
Publishing year
2008
Language
English
Publication/Series
ECIS 2008 Proceedings
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Document type
Conference paper
Publisher
European Conference on Information Systems (ECIS) at AIS Electronic Library (AISeL)
Topic
- Information Systems, Social aspects
Keywords
- Adaptive Structuration Theory
- AST
- Mobile Information Systems
- Nomadic
- Nomadic Systems
- Appropriation
- Structural Features
- Spirit
Conference name
16th European Conference on Information Systems, 2008
Conference date
2008-06-09 - 2008-06-11
Conference place
Galway, Ireland
Status
Published