The aim of this article is to explore the relationship between human actors and technology in the context of a social media platform, developed by a leading Italian firm in the food industry. In order to address these issues, we adopt a theoretical approach that is deeply rooted in Pickering's “mangle” theory, and Jones' subsequent metaphor of “double dance of agency”. We developed a longitudinal case study with two rounds of interviews with mar-keting and R&D managers. The paper provides three main theoretical contri-butions. It provides detailed attention to the co-evolution over time of hu-man-material entanglement, an aspect that papers in this area often omit. It provides a clear picture of a series of inter-related emergent phenomena, en-tangling managers, users, and the social media platform. It introduces fur-ther dimensions in the dancing metaphor. On the practical side, the double dance of agency perspective on this platform's evolution also offers useful insight for practitioners.
The Inextricable Intertwining of the Firm, the Platform and the Customer: the Case of a Social Media Platform for Innovation
MARTINI, ANTONELLA;
2016-01-01
Abstract
The aim of this article is to explore the relationship between human actors and technology in the context of a social media platform, developed by a leading Italian firm in the food industry. In order to address these issues, we adopt a theoretical approach that is deeply rooted in Pickering's “mangle” theory, and Jones' subsequent metaphor of “double dance of agency”. We developed a longitudinal case study with two rounds of interviews with mar-keting and R&D managers. The paper provides three main theoretical contri-butions. It provides detailed attention to the co-evolution over time of hu-man-material entanglement, an aspect that papers in this area often omit. It provides a clear picture of a series of inter-related emergent phenomena, en-tangling managers, users, and the social media platform. It introduces fur-ther dimensions in the dancing metaphor. On the practical side, the double dance of agency perspective on this platform's evolution also offers useful insight for practitioners.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
