Review: Structuration Theory and Information Systems Research

The work of the contemporary British sociologist Anthony Giddens, and in particular his structuration theory, has been widely cited by Information Systems researchers. This paper presents a critical review of the work of Giddens and its application in the Information Systems field. Following a brief overview of Giddens's work as a whole, some key aspects of structuration theory are described, and their implications for Information Systems research discussed. 225 Information Systems articles, published in leading journals and conferences between 1986 and 2002 that have used Giddens's work are identified and coded into 11 categories. The papers in each of these categories are then analysed in the light of the preceding description of Giddens's work and the structure of structurational research in the Information Systems field assessed. Conclusions are drawn on the ways that Giddens's ideas have been used in Information Systems research.