The Right Kind of Feedback: Working through Standardized Tools
This article discusses the implications of working through globally integrated computer systems in transnational firms and addresses in particular employees’ possibility to give feedback on how these systems are working. The aim is to con-tribute to the literature on the standardization of IT with a...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Linköping University Electronic Press
2012-12-01
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| Series: | Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.3384/cu.2000.1525.124699 |
| _version_ | 1818581362150473728 |
|---|---|
| author | Marte Fanneløb Giskeødegård |
| author_facet | Marte Fanneløb Giskeødegård |
| author_sort | Marte Fanneløb Giskeødegård |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This article discusses the implications of working through globally integrated computer systems in transnational firms and addresses in particular employees’ possibility to give feedback on how these systems are working. The aim is to con-tribute to the literature on the standardization of IT with a focus on co-production by questioning the apparent neutrality of feedback processes. The literature focusing on co-production has shed light on the fact that stand-ardized IT systems are not fixed, but rather flexible in the sense that they are con-tinuously developed based on user feedback. However, based on my empirical case, I argue that employees identified the existence of a frame for acceptable criticism. Two different cases of business critical IT systems are presented; these cases share a common consensus among managers and employees that the systems required improvements. However, employees had experiences of providing business critical feedback on functionality that had not been acted upon. Conse-quently, when evaluating their possibility to provide feedback, this was not just interpreted in the sense of functionality of the system, but also the perceived pres-tige of the stakeholders of the systems, which in turn had implications for both the relationship between the central organization and employees and the functionality of the systems. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:32:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ca5eaaf2bd494f68928043e706f30a4f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2000-1525 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-16T07:32:17Z |
| publishDate | 2012-12-01 |
| publisher | Linköping University Electronic Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-ca5eaaf2bd494f68928043e706f30a4f2022-12-21T22:39:18ZengLinköping University Electronic PressCulture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research2000-15252012-12-014699720The Right Kind of Feedback: Working through Standardized ToolsMarte Fanneløb GiskeødegårdThis article discusses the implications of working through globally integrated computer systems in transnational firms and addresses in particular employees’ possibility to give feedback on how these systems are working. The aim is to con-tribute to the literature on the standardization of IT with a focus on co-production by questioning the apparent neutrality of feedback processes. The literature focusing on co-production has shed light on the fact that stand-ardized IT systems are not fixed, but rather flexible in the sense that they are con-tinuously developed based on user feedback. However, based on my empirical case, I argue that employees identified the existence of a frame for acceptable criticism. Two different cases of business critical IT systems are presented; these cases share a common consensus among managers and employees that the systems required improvements. However, employees had experiences of providing business critical feedback on functionality that had not been acted upon. Conse-quently, when evaluating their possibility to provide feedback, this was not just interpreted in the sense of functionality of the system, but also the perceived pres-tige of the stakeholders of the systems, which in turn had implications for both the relationship between the central organization and employees and the functionality of the systems.http://dx.doi.org/10.3384/cu.2000.1525.124699Standardizationglobalizationtransnational companiesglobally integrated IT systemsinternational division of laborfeedback |
| spellingShingle | Marte Fanneløb Giskeødegård The Right Kind of Feedback: Working through Standardized Tools Culture Unbound: Journal of Current Cultural Research Standardization globalization transnational companies globally integrated IT systems international division of labor feedback |
| title | The Right Kind of Feedback: Working through Standardized Tools |
| title_full | The Right Kind of Feedback: Working through Standardized Tools |
| title_fullStr | The Right Kind of Feedback: Working through Standardized Tools |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Right Kind of Feedback: Working through Standardized Tools |
| title_short | The Right Kind of Feedback: Working through Standardized Tools |
| title_sort | right kind of feedback working through standardized tools |
| topic | Standardization globalization transnational companies globally integrated IT systems international division of labor feedback |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.3384/cu.2000.1525.124699 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT martefanneløbgiskeødegard therightkindoffeedbackworkingthroughstandardizedtools AT martefanneløbgiskeødegard rightkindoffeedbackworkingthroughstandardizedtools |