This document proposes a typology of activities based on how the object of an activity is defined. It categorizes activities into four types - clans, networks, markets, and hierarchies - based on whether the object is tacitly or explicitly defined, and whether it is defined internally or externally to the activity's division of labor. Each type is associated with different characteristics around trust, values, and how the object is developed. The document also discusses potential internal contradictions that can arise when an object is viewed differently by stakeholders and placed in different quadrants of the typology framework.
My Empirikom 2012 presentation in Aachen, Germany. I discuss my work with analytical constructs (genre ecologies, activity systems, activity networks), illustrating them with a case and showing how they might point to better understandings of computer-mediated communication in professional environments.
All Edge: Understanding the New Workplace NetworksClay Spinuzzi
I presented this talk to the Austin Chamber of Commerce in November 2013. How are new information and communication technologies enabling us to work together in new ways? I discuss some of the lessons from case studies I've conducted in Austin.
Opportunity formation, stakeholder management and the role of personal and bu...Mario Morello
An exploration into the notions of opportunity formation, networks and stakeholder management in moderate and extreme digital entrepreneurship.
Share this presentation if you liked it and get in touch with any suggestions to continue, expand and evolve the research exploringdigital@gmail.com
Who we are and who we want to be: A look at organizational changeGregory Vigneaux
This talk is centered on making organizational change through exploring organizations as living systems, managing for context, and truly engaging with the complexity of making change.
This presentation delivers a detailed understanding of taxonomy definitions, taxonomy value (ROI), and taxonomy design methodologies and approaches. It was originally delivered by Zach Wahl and Tatiana Cakici of Enterprise Knowledge at Taxonomy Boot Camp 2019 in Washington, DC.
My Empirikom 2012 presentation in Aachen, Germany. I discuss my work with analytical constructs (genre ecologies, activity systems, activity networks), illustrating them with a case and showing how they might point to better understandings of computer-mediated communication in professional environments.
All Edge: Understanding the New Workplace NetworksClay Spinuzzi
I presented this talk to the Austin Chamber of Commerce in November 2013. How are new information and communication technologies enabling us to work together in new ways? I discuss some of the lessons from case studies I've conducted in Austin.
Opportunity formation, stakeholder management and the role of personal and bu...Mario Morello
An exploration into the notions of opportunity formation, networks and stakeholder management in moderate and extreme digital entrepreneurship.
Share this presentation if you liked it and get in touch with any suggestions to continue, expand and evolve the research exploringdigital@gmail.com
Who we are and who we want to be: A look at organizational changeGregory Vigneaux
This talk is centered on making organizational change through exploring organizations as living systems, managing for context, and truly engaging with the complexity of making change.
This presentation delivers a detailed understanding of taxonomy definitions, taxonomy value (ROI), and taxonomy design methodologies and approaches. It was originally delivered by Zach Wahl and Tatiana Cakici of Enterprise Knowledge at Taxonomy Boot Camp 2019 in Washington, DC.
Service-oriented Communities: A Novel Organizational Architecture for Smarter...Vincenzo De Florio
The seminar I shall present at Masaryk University in Brno on May 19, 2016. A video of this presentation is available at https://www.youtube.com/edit?video_id=Fu5kv0sFWG4
Knowledge From Crowds - Better with Institutions + AlgorithmsShaun Abrahamson
Crowds can support learning and knowledge creation. A framework using institutions and algorithms can help assure good outcomes - Wikipedia, Edx.org and Giffgaff are used to explain the framework.
Presentation for KM 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
This presentation introduces Knowledge Management for organizations and includes some models of KM System we have developed. There are some models in Knowledge Mapping.
ServDes16 - Thematic Research in the Frame Creation ProcessJos van Leeuwen
Presentation at ServDes 2016 in Copenhagen, May 24-26, 2016.
Many of today’s challenges that confront society are complex and dynamic and require new perspectives, new ways of looking at problems and issues, in order to be able to come to solutions that could not be found before. This process is called reframing and we suggest that one of the key stages in this process is thematic research, the search for themes that underlie these complex challenges. These themes generally turn out to be human themes, related to socio-emotional aspects of life. In this paper we report our experiences and lessons learned from a series of cases in which we experimented with various approaches to do this thematic research.
Full paper published at http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp/article.asp?issue=125&article=029
On a few hours notice, due to another presenter's "volcano-cancelled" flight, I was asked to fill an empty slot at the Norwegian GoOpen 2010 conference. On the background of the freshly proposed data.norge.no site, I decided to present a high level motivation for open data and linked open data in context of government, briefly compare and contrast its predecessors, data.gov and data.gov.uk, and suggest a possible middle ground between "anything goes" and "one format only" (in Norwegian).
The socio economic impact of creative products and services developing the cr...Joana Cerejo
The socio-economic impact of creative products/services: developing the creative industries through design thinking.
Design thinking, although it has been growing in popularity, is still seen with some distrust, given that its impact is difficult to quantify and its benefits are subjective. This paper wants to address that distrust and contribute to clear it by providing some information about what it can do for companies by taking a look at creative products and services. First, we review the meaning of creative products and services, the concept of innovation, introduce design and some of its applications, as well as its economic impact and move to the meaning of design thinking. Second, we discuss the literature review and establish our findings. Finally, we end with our conclusions and contributions.
The Foundations of a Design-based Theory of the FirmAndy Dong
This is the presentation I gave to BayCHI on April 11, 2017. The presentation discusses the foundations on a design-based theory of the firm, covering the existence of firms, their structure (scale and scope), and capabilities.
Dartmouth discussion: What's wrong with "What's wrong with CHAT?"?Clay Spinuzzi
My slide deck from the workshop portion of the 2016 Dartmouth Institute. During this portion, respondents and I discussed my paper "What's Wrong with CHAT?" This deck encapsulates the argument, but also briefly introduces activity theory and discusses its development.
A talk I presented at the 2016 Dartmouth Institute about cultural-historical activity theory: how it entered writing studies, how it developed, and what methodological challenges it faces.
Service-oriented Communities: A Novel Organizational Architecture for Smarter...Vincenzo De Florio
The seminar I shall present at Masaryk University in Brno on May 19, 2016. A video of this presentation is available at https://www.youtube.com/edit?video_id=Fu5kv0sFWG4
Knowledge From Crowds - Better with Institutions + AlgorithmsShaun Abrahamson
Crowds can support learning and knowledge creation. A framework using institutions and algorithms can help assure good outcomes - Wikipedia, Edx.org and Giffgaff are used to explain the framework.
Presentation for KM 2012 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
This presentation introduces Knowledge Management for organizations and includes some models of KM System we have developed. There are some models in Knowledge Mapping.
ServDes16 - Thematic Research in the Frame Creation ProcessJos van Leeuwen
Presentation at ServDes 2016 in Copenhagen, May 24-26, 2016.
Many of today’s challenges that confront society are complex and dynamic and require new perspectives, new ways of looking at problems and issues, in order to be able to come to solutions that could not be found before. This process is called reframing and we suggest that one of the key stages in this process is thematic research, the search for themes that underlie these complex challenges. These themes generally turn out to be human themes, related to socio-emotional aspects of life. In this paper we report our experiences and lessons learned from a series of cases in which we experimented with various approaches to do this thematic research.
Full paper published at http://www.ep.liu.se/ecp/article.asp?issue=125&article=029
On a few hours notice, due to another presenter's "volcano-cancelled" flight, I was asked to fill an empty slot at the Norwegian GoOpen 2010 conference. On the background of the freshly proposed data.norge.no site, I decided to present a high level motivation for open data and linked open data in context of government, briefly compare and contrast its predecessors, data.gov and data.gov.uk, and suggest a possible middle ground between "anything goes" and "one format only" (in Norwegian).
The socio economic impact of creative products and services developing the cr...Joana Cerejo
The socio-economic impact of creative products/services: developing the creative industries through design thinking.
Design thinking, although it has been growing in popularity, is still seen with some distrust, given that its impact is difficult to quantify and its benefits are subjective. This paper wants to address that distrust and contribute to clear it by providing some information about what it can do for companies by taking a look at creative products and services. First, we review the meaning of creative products and services, the concept of innovation, introduce design and some of its applications, as well as its economic impact and move to the meaning of design thinking. Second, we discuss the literature review and establish our findings. Finally, we end with our conclusions and contributions.
The Foundations of a Design-based Theory of the FirmAndy Dong
This is the presentation I gave to BayCHI on April 11, 2017. The presentation discusses the foundations on a design-based theory of the firm, covering the existence of firms, their structure (scale and scope), and capabilities.
Dartmouth discussion: What's wrong with "What's wrong with CHAT?"?Clay Spinuzzi
My slide deck from the workshop portion of the 2016 Dartmouth Institute. During this portion, respondents and I discussed my paper "What's Wrong with CHAT?" This deck encapsulates the argument, but also briefly introduces activity theory and discusses its development.
A talk I presented at the 2016 Dartmouth Institute about cultural-historical activity theory: how it entered writing studies, how it developed, and what methodological challenges it faces.
Graduate students and faculty are perpetually busy—and they always seem to be behind. How can they effectively manage their time and projects? In this presentation, I discuss the principle of mediation, discussing how nine levels of strategies can help us manage the complex demands on our time.
Cultural-historical activity theory (CHAT) has been used in writing studies for the last twenty years. In the mid-1990s, it offered a solution to a methodological problem that the field faced. But 20 years later, the field faces new methodological challenges. Can CHAT keep up?
In this presentation, originally given at Syracuse University, I discuss three meanings of "network" used in social science and humanities research. These meanings imply different methodological assumptions. I compare them, discuss how they lead to different insights, and suggest how to cautiously use them together.
"Data is not the plural of anecdote!" If you've heard this, you're probably a qualitative researcher, and you've been wondering how to inject more rigor into your methodology. This workshop, presented at Syracuse University and at ATTW 2016, discusses the principles of modeling qualitative data. It covers three main types of models and variations, discussing what they're for and how they can be used to more rigorously compare, understand, and interpret your data.
How do students and faculty publish their academic work? In this presentation, I discuss the publishing process and how to use it to improve your chances of publishing.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
LF Energy Webinar: Electrical Grid Modelling and Simulation Through PowSyBl -...DanBrown980551
Do you want to learn how to model and simulate an electrical network from scratch in under an hour?
Then welcome to this PowSyBl workshop, hosted by Rte, the French Transmission System Operator (TSO)!
During the webinar, you will discover the PowSyBl ecosystem as well as handle and study an electrical network through an interactive Python notebook.
PowSyBl is an open source project hosted by LF Energy, which offers a comprehensive set of features for electrical grid modelling and simulation. Among other advanced features, PowSyBl provides:
- A fully editable and extendable library for grid component modelling;
- Visualization tools to display your network;
- Grid simulation tools, such as power flows, security analyses (with or without remedial actions) and sensitivity analyses;
The framework is mostly written in Java, with a Python binding so that Python developers can access PowSyBl functionalities as well.
What you will learn during the webinar:
- For beginners: discover PowSyBl's functionalities through a quick general presentation and the notebook, without needing any expert coding skills;
- For advanced developers: master the skills to efficiently apply PowSyBl functionalities to your real-world scenarios.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
Welocme to ViralQR, your best QR code generator.ViralQR
Welcome to ViralQR, your best QR code generator available on the market!
At ViralQR, we design static and dynamic QR codes. Our mission is to make business operations easier and customer engagement more powerful through the use of QR technology. Be it a small-scale business or a huge enterprise, our easy-to-use platform provides multiple choices that can be tailored according to your company's branding and marketing strategies.
Our Vision
We are here to make the process of creating QR codes easy and smooth, thus enhancing customer interaction and making business more fluid. We very strongly believe in the ability of QR codes to change the world for businesses in their interaction with customers and are set on making that technology accessible and usable far and wide.
Our Achievements
Ever since its inception, we have successfully served many clients by offering QR codes in their marketing, service delivery, and collection of feedback across various industries. Our platform has been recognized for its ease of use and amazing features, which helped a business to make QR codes.
Our Services
At ViralQR, here is a comprehensive suite of services that caters to your very needs:
Static QR Codes: Create free static QR codes. These QR codes are able to store significant information such as URLs, vCards, plain text, emails and SMS, Wi-Fi credentials, and Bitcoin addresses.
Dynamic QR codes: These also have all the advanced features but are subscription-based. They can directly link to PDF files, images, micro-landing pages, social accounts, review forms, business pages, and applications. In addition, they can be branded with CTAs, frames, patterns, colors, and logos to enhance your branding.
Pricing and Packages
Additionally, there is a 14-day free offer to ViralQR, which is an exceptional opportunity for new users to take a feel of this platform. One can easily subscribe from there and experience the full dynamic of using QR codes. The subscription plans are not only meant for business; they are priced very flexibly so that literally every business could afford to benefit from our service.
Why choose us?
ViralQR will provide services for marketing, advertising, catering, retail, and the like. The QR codes can be posted on fliers, packaging, merchandise, and banners, as well as to substitute for cash and cards in a restaurant or coffee shop. With QR codes integrated into your business, improve customer engagement and streamline operations.
Comprehensive Analytics
Subscribers of ViralQR receive detailed analytics and tracking tools in light of having a view of the core values of QR code performance. Our analytics dashboard shows aggregate views and unique views, as well as detailed information about each impression, including time, device, browser, and estimated location by city and country.
So, thank you for choosing ViralQR; we have an offer of nothing but the best in terms of QR code services to meet business diversity!
Le nuove frontiere dell'AI nell'RPA con UiPath Autopilot™UiPathCommunity
In questo evento online gratuito, organizzato dalla Community Italiana di UiPath, potrai esplorare le nuove funzionalità di Autopilot, il tool che integra l'Intelligenza Artificiale nei processi di sviluppo e utilizzo delle Automazioni.
📕 Vedremo insieme alcuni esempi dell'utilizzo di Autopilot in diversi tool della Suite UiPath:
Autopilot per Studio Web
Autopilot per Studio
Autopilot per Apps
Clipboard AI
GenAI applicata alla Document Understanding
👨🏫👨💻 Speakers:
Stefano Negro, UiPath MVPx3, RPA Tech Lead @ BSP Consultant
Flavio Martinelli, UiPath MVP 2023, Technical Account Manager @UiPath
Andrei Tasca, RPA Solutions Team Lead @NTT Data
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
Builder.ai Founder Sachin Dev Duggal's Strategic Approach to Create an Innova...Ramesh Iyer
In today's fast-changing business world, Companies that adapt and embrace new ideas often need help to keep up with the competition. However, fostering a culture of innovation takes much work. It takes vision, leadership and willingness to take risks in the right proportion. Sachin Dev Duggal, co-founder of Builder.ai, has perfected the art of this balance, creating a company culture where creativity and growth are nurtured at each stage.
Generative AI Deep Dive: Advancing from Proof of Concept to ProductionAggregage
Join Maher Hanafi, VP of Engineering at Betterworks, in this new session where he'll share a practical framework to transform Gen AI prototypes into impactful products! He'll delve into the complexities of data collection and management, model selection and optimization, and ensuring security, scalability, and responsible use.
Encryption in Microsoft 365 - ExpertsLive Netherlands 2024Albert Hoitingh
In this session I delve into the encryption technology used in Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Purview. Including the concepts of Customer Key and Double Key Encryption.
GraphRAG is All You need? LLM & Knowledge GraphGuy Korland
Guy Korland, CEO and Co-founder of FalkorDB, will review two articles on the integration of language models with knowledge graphs.
1. Unifying Large Language Models and Knowledge Graphs: A Roadmap.
https://arxiv.org/abs/2306.08302
2. Microsoft Research's GraphRAG paper and a review paper on various uses of knowledge graphs:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/blog/graphrag-unlocking-llm-discovery-on-narrative-private-data/
2. Spinuzzi, C. (2011). Losing by Expanding: Corralling the Runaway Object.
Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 25(4), 449 – 486.
The problem: The expanding object
hdo.utexas.edu
4. Engestrom and Escalante 1996
hdo.utexas.edu
Farming‟s object is the field that is
“transformed time and again from brute earth
to crops of grain” (Engeström & Escalante
1996, p.360)
8. Seppanen 2004
hdo.utexas.edu
“The formal requirements forced the farmers to
expand their object towards administrative
agencies, rules and subsidies.” (p.32)
“Essentially, the object of organic vegetable
farming is the process of making „raw materials‟
into products and selling them to customers. The
land, crops and the customers are part of the
object. ... The concept of the object is by nature
multifaceted.” (p.48)
“farmers construct their farming object, although
the same in general terms, in different ways. …
Although the object can be historically
understood, it is not fixed.” (p.55)
12. The cycle of the expanding
object
hdo.utexas.edu
Methodological
expansion
Theoretical
expansion
Method-
movement 1
Method-
movement 2
Method-
movement 3
Method-
movement 4
Theory-
movement 1
Theory-
movement 2
Theory-
movement 3
Theory-
movement 4
Toward
greater context
Toward deeper
multidimensionality
o
b
j
e
c
t
o
b
j
e
c
t
o
b
j
e
c
t
o
b
j
e
c
t
o
b
j
e
c
t
13. AT typologies
hdo.utexas.edu
Historical progressions
Engeström, Y. (1987)
Engeström, Y. (2008)
Yamazumi, K. (2009)
Matrices
Engeström, Y., Brown, K., Christopher, L. C., &
Gregory, J. (1997)
Engeström, Y. (2008)
Jarzabkowski, P. (2003)
15. How is the object defined? (tacitly or explicitly?)
Where is the object defined? (internal or external to the division of labor?)
The proposed typology
hdo.utexas.edu
16. hdo.utexas.edu
A typology of activities
Object is tacitly defined
(High discretion; Inductive; Flexible)
Object is explicitly defined
(Low discretion; Deductive; Stable)
Object defined
externally to
activity’s division of
labor, within an
activity network
(service)
Object defined
internally to
activity’s division of
labor
(Authority)
CLANS
uniting; relations, identity;
shared values
high trust
“Let's develop the object
based on our values.”
NETWORKS
cross-specialization projects;
emerging values
swift trust
“Let's develop the object based on
emerging values.”
MARKETS
exchange; price; exchange value,
not “values”; bargaining
low trust
“Produce the object based on these
specifications—if you want my
business.”
HIERARCHIES
process; authority;
institutional values
institutional trust
“Produce the object based
on these specifications—if
you want a job.”
17. Hierarchies: explicit, internally
defined objects
hdo.utexas.edu
ct defined
ernally to
division of
labor
Authority)
shared values
high trust
“Let's develop the object
based on our values.”
emerging values
swift trust
“Let's develop th
emerging values
MARKETS
exchange; price
not “values”; ba
low trust
“Produce the ob
specifications—i
business.”
HIERARCHIES
process; authority;
institutional values
institutional trust
“Produce the object based
on these specifications—if
you want a job.”
18. Markets: explicit, externally defined
objects
hdo.utexas.edu
Object de
externall
activity’s
labor, with
activity ne
(service)
red values
high trust
the object
ur values.”
emerging values
swift trust
“Let's develop the object based on
emerging values.”
MARKETS
exchange; price; exchange value,
not “values”; bargaining
low trust
“Produce the object based on these
specifications—if you want my
business.”
ARCHIES
authority;
nal values
ional trust
ject based
cations—if
ant a job.”
19. Clans: implicit, internally defined
objects
hdo.utexas.edu
Object is tacitly defined
(High discretion; Inductive; Flexibl
Object defined
internally to
y’s division of
labor
(Authority)
CLANS
uniting; relations, identity;
shared values
high trust
“Let's develop the object
based on our values.”
NETWORKS
cross-specializ
emerging valu
swift trust
“Let's develop
emerging valu
MARKETSHIERARCHIES
20. Networks: implicit, externally
defined objects
hdo.utexas.edu
Object is tacitly defined
discretion; Inductive; Flexible)
Object d
externa
activity’s
labor, wi
CLANS
identity;
ed values
high trust
he object
values.”
NETWORKS
cross-specialization projects;
emerging values
swift trust
“Let's develop the object based on
emerging values.”
21. hdo.utexas.edu
A typology of activities
Object is tacitly defined
(High discretion; Inductive; Flexible)
Object is explicitly defined
(Low discretion; Deductive; Stable)
Object defined
externally to
activity’s division of
labor, within an
activity network
(service)
Object defined
internally to
activity’s division of
labor
(Authority)
CLANS
uniting; relations, identity;
shared values
high trust
“Let's develop the object
based on our values.”
NETWORKS
cross-specialization projects;
emerging values
swift trust
“Let's develop the object based on
emerging values.”
MARKETS
exchange; price; exchange value,
not “values”; bargaining
low trust
“Produce the object based on these
specifications—if you want my
business.”
HIERARCHIES
process; authority;
institutional values
institutional trust
“Produce the object based
on these specifications—if
you want a job.”
23. Internal contradictions between
types of activity
Artemeva and Freedman 2001: Clan vs.
Hierarchy
Ding 2008: Market vs. Hierarchy
Sherlock 2009: Network vs. Market
hdo.utexas.edu
24. Internal contradictions
Internal contradictions form where
stakeholders’ perspectives on the object place
it in different quadrants.
Different stakeholders have arrayed different
activity systems to pulse the object as they
perceive it in different ways.
Those activity systems have taken on different
tools, rules, actors, divisions of labor, and
communities; they have adopted different
pulses with different cycles.
hdo.utexas.edu
Intro self. Excited to be here. Talk about typology of activities and why we need it.
The first part follows the argument of this article, which was supplied to you. The question of the object, which defines an activity.
Let’s use the illustration of farming.
Kaptelinin: The object is the seed of the activity system.Both objective (material: brute earth) and projective (plan: the field of grain).The cycle or pulse of transformation. Here, transformation is governed by the seasons: plant in spring, harvest in fall.Photos:Framboise: http://www.flickr.com/photos/framboise/6478994/sizes/o/in/photolist-zcYN-2JTzq-2JTH2-3kdkr-8Rzn7-cgGDS-iHkD3-kWkLs-pHW2e-svGsn-yFY2e-yFY67-yFYne-Ecrfs-J2vDK-JUBTQ-KniLv-KMTM6-KYhmB-2pNH8z-37WQqy-38aeMQ-3wyCFF-4b6Dp4-4tgx2j-4C81rN-4GGh3o-4U62VH-55uVBk-5r9ky6-5rD5Zq-5rD75o-5v5MfZ-5AJybP-5AJyDr-5D31y7-5DimkX-5RcrED-5SR8Wz-5XUwai-5YWxA1-626XTA-66wUE3-69H981-6aHK7K-6b8F7m-6deahi-6deaqr-6deatv-6deawa-6deazp/ChrisSteam http://www.flickr.com/photos/29150861@N02/2840955234/sizes/l/in/photolist-5k3D1N-5kstvV-5n13ki-5D7h1A-5EgD68-5FGCAU-5JbyLg-5UG5Mg-6371j6-6attdS-6qSpEj-6wgT32-6yZLtC-6CGRrV-6DT1ua-6GGjrE-6GGjFE-6JVkoo-6McjcR-6Pu5zc-6Pu5BR-6To3RX-6VDWdi-73532W-74eNQx-7jzKGX-7jDRSJ-7t36Gm-7tPnfF-9WDPYo-a8ekwo-fjtBed-a5uGax-9T9o3m-9QJ5p2-chGJiQ-9TmNBu-dU6uyR-aWvNBc-cfRthS-a9zX2u-fnMob6-ak2Rs2-8VxDhF-akdoxd-aDvAuH-cuHzRo-8TPsXi-acAmua-9LBGwm-8hNJWG/
(from Topsight)Around this object – and its cycle of transformation – develop an array of resources. The actors and community stakeholders who are invested in transforming it; the rules, tools, and DOL that mediate its transformation. The cycle means that over time, these different resources can be stabilized. We develop and hone tools, rules, DOL; we invest actors and community stakeholders in the activity.
(farm pic)But farming is, like any activity, a bit more complex than these activity system diagrams tend to let on.
For instance, like everyone else, farmers are increasingly using information technology to guide their transformation of the object: they plot their fields using GPS and they plan their work around weather via weather satellites. They’re layering on different kinds of information and thus representing the object in different ways.(picture via CIAT International Center for Tropical Agriculture)http://www.flickr.com/photos/ciat/4821530518/sizes/l/in/photolist-8m4B3w-cAje1f-8J7L1B-8J7LKp-8J7K6z-89R6Gf-82nVRy-ecz1Qd-djE34P-9YL69D/)
They must also identify a market. Should they go for the organic market, with high margins? Considering this issue involves expanding the object: to administrative agencies, land, crops, customers.Seppänen, L. (2004). Learning Challenges in Organic Vegetable Farming of On-Farm Practices. Learning. University of Helsinki.
Or should they produce in high volume, using the agribusiness model with its large economies of scale? Should they use GMOs? If so, do they need to get the law involved when GMO seed travels to the next field?Each choice potentially adds new perspectives to the object, involves different existing activities, and shapes the other parts of the activity.Picture: CIMMYT http://www.flickr.com/photos/cimmyt/8072668264/sizes/o/
Agribusiness, such as Monsanto, may find itself spreading far beyond the field in order to keep transforming its object—see, for instance, the revelation that the private security firm Blackwater sought to provide infiltration services to Monsanto.
And, at an even larger scale, consider global warming—what Engestrom calls a “runaway object,” one that is so big that all of us participate in it and no defined subgroup can conceptualize or address it adequately.Photo: yeimaya, http://www.flickr.com/photos/yeimaya/337352632/sizes/o/
As I argue in my 2011 paper Losing by Expanding, we have seen two movements in activity theory research that, together, expand the object.Methodologically, we have applied activity theory to objects of larger and larger scale. In 1987, Engestrom was examining doctor-patient dyads. In 2008, he was examining global warming. The movement is toward larger, more expansive cases with greater context, attempting to address how an object is touched by other activities.Theoretically, we have begun to understand activities as more overlapped and multidimensional: each object is potentially touched or shared by more trades, disciplines, and organizations. The humble farmer’s field is transformed by many perspectives, on many cycles. The more multidimensional an object is, the more likely it is to have several configurations of activity around it—several sets of actors, community stakeholders, tools, rules, and divisions of labor. Multidimensionality, not surprisingly, often leads to internal contradictions. These are the engines of change in an activity, as Engestrom has long told us. But we must come to grips with them, understanding how different dimensions or aspects of an object can lead to contradictions among the activity’s other elements.As a first step, I propose a typology of activities—a way to characterize different configurations of activities forming around objects with different characteristics. Since the activities’ objects can be multidimensional, typing the dimensions or perspectives of these objects can help us to think through the internal contradictions that form around them.
For brevity, I’ll simply list some previous examples of AT typologies. These all do what they are intended to do—but they do not characterize objects using consistent criteria, so they’re not suitable for the goal I’m pursuing.
Similarly, I won’t go over the existing organizational typologies outside of activity theory, since they do not characterize objectives either—although there is some good work here in characterizing organizations, and some of this work helped me to think through the typology I propose.
In this typology, I start with the object, the seed of the activity system. And I ask two questions which become the axes of a matrix.First: How is the object defined? Is it defined explicitly, ahead of time, and deductively achieved—that is, do people know exactly what they’re trying to accomplish at the beginning of the activity’s cycle? Or is it defined implicitly and inductively achieved—do people define it in the act?Second: Where is the object defined? Is it defined internally to the division of labor, by the actors and community stakeholders within the activity? Or is it defined externally to the division of labor, by other activities in which the completed object will be used?
These two dimensions form a matrix within which we can locate objects. The quadrants of the matrix imply a configuration for activities oriented to transforming objects with these qualities.Think of these quadrants as ideal types. It’s rare, I think, that you’ll find an activity that fits squarely into one quadrant. But they provide a way of thinking through how activities can be oriented.Notice that these quadrants correspond to types that have been described elsewhere. For instance, in his 2008 book, Engestrom cites Powell in discussing hierarchies, markets, and networks as different types of activity. You can see similarities in Ronfeldt’s TIMN framework; Quinn’s CVF framework; Ouchi’s description of Clans, Markets, and Hierarchies; and Boisot and Child’s C-Space.Let’s discuss each quadrant. I’ll draw on four AT studies to illustrate.
HierarchiesDefined internally to DOLDefined explicitlyHierarchies must pulse objects steadily and reliably, with low tolerances. Consequently, they require strong authority and strong process specifications.Examples: manufacturing, law, other areas that involve regular and reliable outcomes. Study: Schuster, M. L., & Propen, A. D. (2011). Victim advocacy in the courtroom: Persuasive practices in domestic violence and child protection cases. Boston: Northeastern.Courts are developed to provide regular, legal, and reasonably predictable decisions.They rely on authority and defined process.They rely on institutional trust.
MarketsDefined externally to DOLDefined explicitlyMarkets must pulse the object rapidly and flexibly. A party outside the DOL provides the specifications, and many parties must compete for jobs. This configuration emphasizes flexibility and competition. Trust is low. Arrangements are often temporary. Examples: market goods, but also grant writing, other work that involves competing for a temporary partnership with others outside one’s activity. Study: Ding, H. (2008). The Use of Cognitive and Social Apprenticeship to Teach a Disciplinary Genre: Initiation of Graduate Students Into NIH Grant Writing. Written Communication, 25(1), 3–52. Grants are written to outside granting agencies, which supply and judge the specifications.They’re competitive. Granting agencies require explicit documentation rather than extending trust.
ClansDefined internally to DOLDefined implicitlyClans form to develop high-trust relationships and identity within a group. If you’ve read your Durkheim, this quadrant corresponds most closely to mechanical solidarity, i.e., solidarity among similar people. Think in terms of esprit de corps.Examples: professions, working groups, competitive teams. Apple’s Macintosh team. Corporate culture. Shared values and high trust.Study: Artemeva, N., & Freedman, A. (2001). Just the boys playing on computers": An activity theory analysis of differences in the cultures of two engineering firms. Journal of Business and Technical Communication, 15(2), 164–194.In this case, a schism in corporate culture developed. Software engineers perceived an outside challenge to their values and inductively developed solidarity in response.Eventually, the software engineers split from the original company to create their own company.
NetworksDefined externally to DOLDefined implicitlyNetworks have been around for a long time, but are resurging due to much lower communication costs and a consequent emphasis on multidisciplinary work. They excel at attacking temporary projects requiring cross-specialization. They require swift trust and they develop values as they go. Examples: adhocracies; freelancing; open source software; terrorism; collaborative communities.As Adler and Heckscher argue, emerging values and swift trust. Think in terms of specialists who each “own” aspects of a project and must rotate leadership among them. This sort of activity is the most multiperspectival and has led Engestrom, Yamazumi, and others to call for a fourth generation of AT to analyze it.Study: Sherlock, L. (2009). Genre, Activity, and Collaborative Work and Play in World of Warcraft: Places and Problems of Open Systems in Online Gaming. Journal Of Business And Technical Communication, 23(3), 263–293.Players are from all over the world, may never meet each other, but periodically come together for “grouping” (attacking a project with a team of specialists).Grouping is not well defined in the software publisher’s documentation. Players developed the concept, including tactics and rules, in ancillary documentation such as Wikis and FAQs.
So there’s the typology. But recall that these are ideal types. In practice, activities are multiperspectival, and as we saw earlier, they are tending to become more multidimensional and multicontextual. They tend to involve more people, even peripherally, and consequently activities tend to be hybrids of the ideal types. And that means that they develop competing configurations—and internal contradictions among those configurations.
Let’s look at some examples.
Artemeva and Freedman (2001): an engineering company’s hardware and software groups were segregated and treated differently by upper management. Clannish divisions developed because of “the introduction of a new product into the existing activity system” which “led to a reconstruction of internal relationships between different parts of the functioning organism” (2001, p.179). This new product, software, set up tensions that cascaded across other parts of the activity system: it necessitated a different pulse mediated by different actors (subjects), tools, rules, community, and division of labor. This set of cascading issues emphasized and exacerbated the cultural differences between hardware and software engineers, causing them to identify more strongly in clans—and eventually causing those clans to part ways.Ding (2008): novice researchers working within defined, hierarchically structured research groups had to write competitive grant applications to external agencies. So, although these research groups had their own, internally defined objects, to acquire grant money, the novice researchers had to also define these objects in ways that were attractive to the external agencies. That move from internal to external criteria was complex. Novicegrant writers had to learn a range of genres and the practices behind them, genres and practices that were situated in an unfamiliar activity and conditioned by that activity’s values.Sherlock (2009): the game publisher Blizzard marketed its game to a broad audience of players; some of these players became co-creators, developing various innovations to support ad hoc in-game collaboration.For both Blizzard and the players, the object was the game. But Blizzard saw the object as market-oriented—a game for which a market would pay—while the players saw the object as network-oriented—a game around which they could form specialized adhocratic teams. Much of the time, these perspectives did not clash. But when they did, Blizzard partially closed the system, restricting access or information to protect its market investment.
But as the examples above suggest, contradictions form where stakeholders’ perspectives on the object place it in different quadrants: when a hierarchical bureaucracy and a clannish group of engineers clash over workplace culture, when a hierarchical research team must reposition their work to reach a granting agency’s objectives, when a software publisher attempts to build a market by controlling the game that adhocratic networks are trying to modify. In these cases, different stakeholders have arrayed different activity systems to pulse the object as they perceive it in different ways. Those activity systems have taken on different tools, rules, actors, divisions of labor, and communities; they have adopted different pulses with different cycles.I hope that this can help us as we think through these internal contradictions, why they occur, and etc. I’ve applied this perspective to a case study (in review) and believe that it has been illuminating.