Organisational Data Work and Its Horizons of Sense: On the Importance of Considering the Temporalities and Topologies of Data Movement When Researching Digital Transformation(s)

Organisationale Datenarbeit und ihre Sinnhorizonte: Über die Bedeutung von Zeitlichkeiten und Topologien von Datenflüssen für die Erforschung digitaler Transformationsprozesse
[journal article]

Abstract

Reconstructing topological and temporal accounts of data movement is an approach to researching digital transformation(s) that challenges distal assumptions of organisations as fixed structures through which data flow like immutable mobiles. Based on a case study in education, we present and reflect... view more

Reconstructing topological and temporal accounts of data movement is an approach to researching digital transformation(s) that challenges distal assumptions of organisations as fixed structures through which data flow like immutable mobiles. Based on a case study in education, we present and reflect on the challenges of reconstructing and visualising data movement. In particular, we attend to how the often-conflicting views of organisational members about how data "actually" move pose a challenge to reconstruct a "full picture." We propose the notion of horizon of sense to grasp the situated data practices of organisational actors and reconstruct their horizons of sense through two perspectives: First, data movement connects different social actors, documents, information systems, or databases in different forms. This perspective considers the topologies of data movement and foregrounds the relationality of data movement at a given point in time. Second, the movement of data is made possible through different interconnected activities that unfold over time. This dimension relates to the temporalities of data movement and foregrounds processes and activities that connect data work in its temporal flow. We demonstrate why it is important to consider both perspectives when researching digital transformation(s).... view less

Keywords
digitalization; data; decision making; information system; school system

Classification
Sociology of Science, Sociology of Technology, Research on Science and Technology

Free Keywords
Data journey; critical data studies; data movement; datafication; BPMN; topology; temporality; education; Temporalities; topologies; Digital Transformation; organisations

Document language
English

Publication Year
2022

Page/Pages
p. 142-170

Journal
Historical Social Research, 47 (2022) 3

Issue topic
Digital Transformation(s): On the Entanglement of Long-Term Processes and Digital Social Change

ISSN
0172-6404

Status
Published Version; peer reviewed

Licence
Creative Commons - Attribution 4.0