Communicative Action Theory: An Approach to Understanding the Application of Information Systems

Habermas's theory of communicative action (TCA) has made a significant impact on information systems (IS) research. However, the expected benefit to IS application has lagged due to a gap between IS theory informed by Habermas’s ideas and IS practice. This paper re-states the concepts central to communicative action theory and from that perspective interprets the meaning of IS in organizational contexts. Four case studies, drawn from a Belgian retail company, are discussed to illustrate the roles of IS in support of social actions and to demonstrate the critical analysis of IS from a TCA perspective.

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