Work System Theory: Overview of Core Concepts, Extensions, and Challenges for the Future

By Steven L. Alter. Journal of the AIS, 2013

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How researchers see this paper

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Theory of Workarounds (2014, background): “Work system theory [Alter, 2013] maintains the focus on the entire work system, not just technology or process.”
Linking information systems and entrepreneurship: A review and agenda for IT‐associated and digital entrepreneurship research (2018, methodology): “Work systems theory (Alter, 2013), together with the sparsely used action research approach, can help to frame this investigation.”
Research on information systems failures and successes: Status update and future directions (2014, background): “To redress an overly technical bias, Markus (2004) introduced the concept of “ techno change ” , and Alter (2008, 2013) proposed his concept of the “ work system ” .”
Socio-Technical Perspectives on Smart Working: Creating Meaningful and Sustainable Systems (2020, background): “Where is the boundary between personal and professional life to be drawn? It may be that the mental model of ‘an organization’ is less helpful than an alternative view of ‘work systems’ in which actors collaborate, communicate and use available technologies for particular purposes (Alter 2013).”