Computer Workarounds or Expediting Work?

Abstract

Abstract Research on computer workarounds in an organizational context often focuses narrowly on user intent towards IT use rather than a more holistic view of user behaviour in response to anomalies. Drawing on a framework that links pragmatism, interactionism, phenomenology, and ecological psychology our case study involving a medication-dispensing system shows why computer workarounds can emerge endogenously when anomalous work situations arise and how the resultant compensatory actions attempt to restore the original workflow. Our findings reveal that these compensatory actions are characterized by the logics of expedience and satisficing. Further, we uncover three distinctive types of compensatory actions: performative procedures, ad hoc role crafting, and gaming the system. We refer to the ensemble of compensatory actions and their logics collectively as expediting work. Our research contributes to the literature on organizational information technology (IT) workarounds by proposing expediting work as an alternative explanation for the emergence of workarounds.