Abstract
Most studies about Information Technology Capability (ITC) are based on the Resource-Based Theory (RBT) and are focused on its impact on strategic organizational variables. However, the ITC formation and development processes have been less addressed, presenting several challenges such as the confluence of physical, human and organizational aspects and its dynamism. The lack of explanatory power of RBT for overcoming these challenges lead us to explore other views. In this paper, we propose a framework based on Manuel DeLanda’s Assemblage Theory for conceptualizing the ITC and orienting the study of its development over time. The characteristics of the assemblage concept including heterogeneity, scalability, and dynamism allows us to tackle the ITC at the level of a whole, but also at the level of its components and the interactions between them. Additionally, we explore the fluid nature of ITC using the processes of stabilization and destabilization proposed in the theory.
Recommended Citation
Rodriguez, Maria Teresa and Diaz Pinzón, Beatriz Helena Bhdp, "Assemblage Theory to explain the Information Technology Capability Development in Small Businesses" (2019). AMCIS 2019 Proceedings. 9.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2019/meta_research_is/meta_research_is/9
Assemblage Theory to explain the Information Technology Capability Development in Small Businesses
Most studies about Information Technology Capability (ITC) are based on the Resource-Based Theory (RBT) and are focused on its impact on strategic organizational variables. However, the ITC formation and development processes have been less addressed, presenting several challenges such as the confluence of physical, human and organizational aspects and its dynamism. The lack of explanatory power of RBT for overcoming these challenges lead us to explore other views. In this paper, we propose a framework based on Manuel DeLanda’s Assemblage Theory for conceptualizing the ITC and orienting the study of its development over time. The characteristics of the assemblage concept including heterogeneity, scalability, and dynamism allows us to tackle the ITC at the level of a whole, but also at the level of its components and the interactions between them. Additionally, we explore the fluid nature of ITC using the processes of stabilization and destabilization proposed in the theory.