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This paper examines what happens when multiple organisations with competing logics enact social media concurrently and in diverse ways. This is important in organisational fields such as emergency management where it becomes problematic if information provision is fragmented and inconsistent. A qualitative and multi‐level case study of an organisational field is undertaken, comprised of interviews with 45 representatives from 27 organisations, including emergency management organisations, government agencies, non‐government organisations, private organisations, and community groups. Based on our findings, we build understanding of how logics and the enactment of digital technology coevolve in an organisational field. We articulate a theoretical model that explains the reciprocity between logics and the enactment of social media. We also develop a framework that captures an organisational field‐level perspective on the range of ways that information flows across such a field. We contribute to theory on institutional dynamics and to understanding of the enactment of social media in organisational fields. Implications for practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While there have been increasing studies on the impact of financial technology (FinTech), limited research has explored how FinTech supports economic empowerment for informal businesses. Drawing on institutional logics and a case study of mobile money—a FinTech innovation—this study develops a model of mobile money‐driven economic empowerment. We argue that this model is important to explain how those at the bottom of the economic pyramid, who are often neglected, use FinTech innovations to create and run informal businesses. Our findings and model explain the dynamics between logics, actors, and mobile money at three levels: regulatory, payments infrastructure, and informal economy. We identify three corresponding effects as outcomes of economic empowerment for informal businesses: greater access to start‐up capital, new employment opportunities, and improved financial management. By illustrating these effects, our study contributes to a better understanding of how FinTech innovations offer a possible pathway to economic empowerment for informal businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papers also outline different ways of conceptualising power and new insights into how different types of power yield different understandings of the role of IS and to IS research. Power as a practice also manifests through participation in decision-making, empowerment (Simeonova et al., 2020; Simeonova & Galliers, 2022), "sensemaking" and "sensegiving" (Simeonova & Galliers, 2022). The motivation for this special issue on 'Power dynamics in organisations and the role of information systems' originated from the (re)emerging interest and a lack of theorising about the role of power in Information Systems (IS) research (Jasperson et al., 2002; Silva, 2007; Silva & Backhouse, 2003; Simeonova & Galliers, 2022; Simeonova, Galliers, & Karanasios, 2020). Power as facilitation denotes the utilisation of IS to reduce communication barriers between hierarchical levels and remove status differentials and power asymmetries (Leonardi, Huysman, & Steinfield, 2013; McAfee, 2006). [Extracted from the article]

Supply chains face many challenges around coordination, information asymmetry, quality assurance, complex disruptions, and traceability. Blockchain is arguably a technology that can address these challenges and make a significant impact. To shed light on the impact of blockchain, we undertake a cross-discipline systematic literature review on blockchain and supply chains. This review focused on identifying blockchain's current and proposed impacts on the supply chain at three levels: organisational, inter-organisational, and industry. The findings identified twelve core supply chain themes across pre-implementation, postimplementation, and emerging tensions associated with adopting blockchain. These findings extend knowledge by going beyond understanding blockchain and its application and articulating multi-levels of impacts. Based on our review, we propose future research directions. By providing an overview of the current impact of blockchain, the review also offers insights to help managers to make informed decisions around the implementation and use of blockchain in supply chains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media (SM) is increasingly used to reach out to populations for preparedness and response to disasters. Given the disproportionate impacts of disasters on vulnerable populations (e.g., older persons, persons socially/geographically isolated, persons living with disabilities, persons of low socio-economic means) in this study we focus specifically on the attitudes, needs and future plans of vulnerable persons towards accessing and sharing information via SM during extreme weather events. Advancing understanding in this area is important as there is growing evidence that people who may be described as more vulnerable may have different communication needs and less access to disaster related information and technologies. We present the results of a survey of 215 vulnerable persons in Victoria, Australia. Rather than consider vulnerable persons as a homogenous group, we examine how persons with different vulnerabilities perceive SM for accessing and sharing information in the context of disasters and report findings which challenge prevalent assumptions about vulnerable persons and SM. Overall we find that vulnerable persons are not passive recipients of support during disasters but have self-awareness, a strong desire to receive information and the capacity to usefully contribute to the provision of reliable information via SM. With a view to improving outcomes for vulnerable persons in disasters we offer an agenda for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a four‐year longitudinal case study of a French multinational corporation (MNC) this research explains how a global enterprise system, initially designed to provide greater control by headquarters across its MNC sites, led to the emergence of unexpected practices – known as workarounds – in its Chinese subsidiaries. Drawing on concepts from activity theory our findings provide greater theoretical understanding of workarounds in three ways. First, users are involved in collectively constructing and implementing workaround practices rather than simply being passive users or reduced to the dichotomous framing of 'accepting' or 'rejecting' an information system. Workarounds are not simple individual user improvizations but are collectively developed and become unofficial local rules. Second, workarounds are part of learning which goes beyond the view of workarounds as deviant and non‐compliant behavior. Third, learning activities are not restricted to users and their practices. Rather, as we demonstrate learning and evolution take place between the users, managers, processes and the system; that is, workarounds are not only a critical part of 'getting work done' but also an integral part of the institutionalization of an enterprise system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines how development actors within the Ghanaian agricultural sector enact information and communication technology (ICT) in their day‐to‐day outreach practices with smallholder farmers. We draw on an in‐depth qualitative case study, informed by the theoretical perspective of "strategy‐as‐practice" to answer the research question: "what ICT‐mediated strategic practices are used by development actors in the Ghanaian agriculture sector?" The research findings reveal that (1) the activities of development actors are meshed within a network of interdependencies; (2) the enacted strategic practices reflect the trade‐off between novelty of content and novelty of the technologies used to deliver it; and lastly, (3) the praxis of development actors for doing ICT for development consists of hybrid strategies, combining bottom‐up approaches consistent with farmers' indigenous smallholder logic, with top‐down imperatives framing agriculture "as a business" and nurturing value‐chain integration. Consequently, our research points to the impact of ICT initiatives as step‐wise and attained over the long term, rather than disruptive and attained in the immediate term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including social media in the workplace, an activity theory study of data, and the use of activity theory and social capital in crowdfunding.

Activity Theory, based on the work of Vygotsky and colleagues, has developed into a contemporary social theory for studying work and social activity. In the last 20 years it has become internationalised and accepted in the Organisation, Management, Human Computer Interaction, Social-Psychology and Education fields; yet traditionally its use in IS has remained limited. In recent years there has been growing interest in its use in Information Systems (IS) research. This Special Issue aims to act as a compendium of outstanding research, focusing on the use, development and contribution of Activity Theory in IS research. It also aims to stimulate discourse and advance the use of Activity Theory in IS research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This paper examines how mobile devices have influenced patterns of information behaviour in tourism activities. Method. As a conceptual paper we map the alignment of mobile information services to the three stages of travel activity. Analysis. The paper asserts that there has been shift towards an in situ mode of information access and consumption to support tourism planning activity. Conclusions. The paper contends that mobile devices have had a concertina effect on tourism activity, with many activities that had been conducted by people in the pre-trip stage (related to searching for information and booking and paying for tourism products) and the post-trip stage (such as capturing information and recording of vacation experiences) are now being carried out in the during-trip stage. Mobile devices potentially allow access to a range of context-based services that previously were unavailable to the tourist, however are now easily accessible during a trip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. This interdisciplinary research in progress paper describes research exploring information sharing and decision making in a policing context. As the use of information from social media, particularly within a public safety environment, is still new and emerging, there is a distinct lack of theory to explain the transformation in information practices taking place. Method. The research takes a qualitative approach, drawing on a social constructivist meta-theory. Activity theory is presented as the methodological and analytic framework and its application for studying information practices is described. Interviews think aloud techniques, observations and document analysis will be the methods used. Future research. This research aims to contribute to both the academic literature and to policy by developing theory and providing policing organisations with an empirical grounding to develop policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the advancement of the ICT for Development (ICT4D) field over the last decade, it has been argued that its knowledge and theoretical contribution has been weak. It has also been argued that ICT4D lacks appropriate theoretically driven approaches to frame studies to generate insights. This article introduces the use of activity theory in the context of ICT4D, as a theory-based framework, to answer questions concerning how ICT4D has enabled changes at the "activity" level in the development setting. While activity theory has been used expansively in a number of related technology, education, cognitive, and social-psychology disciplines, it has been largely ignored in ICT4D research. Five activity theoretic contributions are identified for framing the study of ICT4D. Notwithstanding the relatively unexplored use of activity theory in ICT4D research, it is argued that there are several appealing ways it may generate insights. It is also argued that the ICT4D field is compatible with the underlying critical and emancipatory commitments of activity theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an analysis of a broadband implementation in the town of Slavutych, Ukraine. Slavutych was purposefully built 50 km from Chernobyl shortly after the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (ChNPP) disaster in 1986 to house personnel of ChNPP and their families evacuated from the city of Prip'yat. Drawing on activity theory, and in particular the notion of activity systems, we demonstrate how an activity system approach can be used to frame Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICTD) intervention. We highlight the tools used to mediate the activity, the activity motivation and the relevant stakeholders and examine the role of 'contradictions'. Using the notion of connected activities, we also provide some theoretical basis for understanding the emergence of activities and conceptualising the impact of development projects, arguing that the outcome of an activity leads to/is consumed by other related activities. This paper contributes to scholarship in the field of ICTD using an empirical case in a complex setting and furthers theoretical development by advancing an activity system perspective for understanding and theorising ICTD interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses some of the recent trends in relation the role that electronic commerce can play in business-to-consumer (B2C) relations, including the importance of understanding the behaviour of online customers and the role that c-commerce can play in managing customer relationships online. The article serves as an introduction to this special edition of the journal, which examined the use of electronic commerce in dealings with consumers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-national field research performed in developing countries presents researchers with a number of obstacles. Challenges include creating equivalent samples, countering biases, and managing linguistic and cultural issues. In this article the author reviews the conduct of a cross-national study focusing on small tourism operators and the adoption of information communication technologies. He presents the research process, the issues encountered and how they were addressed are discussed, and a number of lessons. This article adds to our understanding of crossnational field research in developing countries and presents a number of implications for social science researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]