Paper Number
Panel 6
Abstract
Agency can no longer be assumed to reside solely with human actors but may be attributed to systems, negotiated between humans and technologies, or shift dynamically across both—captured in the notion of Agency² (Agency-squared). While prior research has primarily examined these developments from organizational perspectives, this panel foregrounds the user perspective. It explores how users experience, interpret, and navigate evolving configurations of agency in use. In particular, it examines how users make sense of where agency resides, how they evaluate and act on system outputs, and how they navigate shifting boundaries of control and responsibility in interaction. These dynamics carry implications for knowledge and learning, effectiveness of use, responsibility, and control. By bringing together diverse scholarly perspectives, the panel aims to advance theorizing on use in contexts characterized by distributed and dynamic agency.
Recommended Citation
Pappas, Ilias and Rieder, Annamina, "Agency Squared" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 6.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/panels/panels/6
Agency Squared
Agency can no longer be assumed to reside solely with human actors but may be attributed to systems, negotiated between humans and technologies, or shift dynamically across both—captured in the notion of Agency² (Agency-squared). While prior research has primarily examined these developments from organizational perspectives, this panel foregrounds the user perspective. It explores how users experience, interpret, and navigate evolving configurations of agency in use. In particular, it examines how users make sense of where agency resides, how they evaluate and act on system outputs, and how they navigate shifting boundaries of control and responsibility in interaction. These dynamics carry implications for knowledge and learning, effectiveness of use, responsibility, and control. By bringing together diverse scholarly perspectives, the panel aims to advance theorizing on use in contexts characterized by distributed and dynamic agency.
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