Entanglements in Practice: Performing Anonymity Through Social Media
Name
Scott Orlikowski Entanglements MISQ.pdf
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353.56 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
085da72ee7a96b7b7daee1e4cac4657c
Author(s)
Scott, Susan V.
Orlikowski, Wanda J.
Date Issued
2014
Journal
MIS Quarterly
Publisher
Management Information Systems Research Center, Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota
Citation
Scott, Susan V. and Wanda J. Orlikowski. "Entanglements in Practice: Performing Anonymity Through Social Media." MIS Quarterly 38.3 (2014): 873-893.
Version
Author's final manuscript
Abstract
Information systems researchers have shown an increasing interest in the notion of sociomateriality. In this paper, we continue this exploration by focusing specifically on entanglement: the inseparability of meaning and matter. Our particular approach is differentiated by its grounding in a relational and performative ontology, and its use of agential realism. We explore some of the key ideas of entanglement through a comparison of two phenomena in the travel sector: an institutionalized accreditation scheme offered by the AA and an online social media website hosted by TripAdvisor. Our analysis centers on the production of anonymity in these two practices of hotel evaluation. By examining how anonymity is constituted through an entanglement of matter and meaning, we challenge the predominantly social treatments of anonymity to date and draw attention to the uncertainties and outcomes generated by specific performances of anonymity in practice. In closing, we consider what the particular agential realist concept of entanglement entails for understanding anonymity, and discuss its implications for research practice.
MIT Department
Sloan School of Management
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Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike
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DOI of Published Version
http://misq.org/entanglements-in-practice-performing-anonymity-through-social-media.html
