Abstract

This paper aims to present a cultural analysis of collaborative technologies in the workplace. It examines gender-segregated work in Saudi-Arabia, and presents two contrasting cases of IT usage that act either to enable or constrain cultural change. Using Structuration Theory, the study exemplifies the dynamic and detailed analysis this lens can provide to cultural IS research. The study also examines Giddens’ theorising on the regionalisation of social interactions in time-space. By applying this in the IS context, the study attempts to provide a better understanding of the contextuality of electronically mediated communication.

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Gender-Segregated Work in Saudi Arabia: A Structurational Perspective on Technology and Cultural Change

This paper aims to present a cultural analysis of collaborative technologies in the workplace. It examines gender-segregated work in Saudi-Arabia, and presents two contrasting cases of IT usage that act either to enable or constrain cultural change. Using Structuration Theory, the study exemplifies the dynamic and detailed analysis this lens can provide to cultural IS research. The study also examines Giddens’ theorising on the regionalisation of social interactions in time-space. By applying this in the IS context, the study attempts to provide a better understanding of the contextuality of electronically mediated communication.