Change and Reality: Exploring the Structure- culture-agency Dynamic: A Critical Realist Analysis of Information Systems Development and Organisational Change in British Local Government

Since the early 1990s information systems (IS) have increasingly provided both the technical platform and conceptual rationale for ongoing and widespread institutional and cultural change across government and public services worldwide. However, analysis tends to shy away from examining the complex dynamic between agency (individual actors and collectivities), structure (systems, institutions, roles, positions), and culture (ideas, theories, beliefs and values) that is integral to these developments. Instead agents and structures are conflated – treated as largely epiphenomenal to each other. This book argues for a different approach informed by critical realism and acceptance of the principle of analytical dualism. By so doing it demonstrates how cycles of IS development and organisational change are conditioned, shaped, transformed and reproduced over time by the agency/structure dynamic, leading ultimately to complex and highly variable outcomes. In short, although British local government based, this book should be of interest to many scholars and professionals working in government and public administration and IS and management.

Ivan J. Horrocks, BA (Hons), PhD: lectures in technology management at the Open University, Milton Keynes, UK. Since the mid 1990s he has authored/co-authored a range of publications analysing the relationship between new information and communication technologies (ICTs), democracy, politics and public adminstration.