Special Section Introduction—Information, Technology, and the Changing Nature of Work

• Published in: Information systems research 2014-12, Vol.25 (4), p.789-795
• Main Authors: Forman, Chris, King, John Leslie, Lyytinen, Kalle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Analysis; Automatic control; control; Crowdsourcing; effects; Emerging technology; Forecasts and trends; Geography; Hospital buildings; Industrial productivity; information; Information storage and retrieval systems; Information technology; Machinery; Online social networks; productivity; skills; Social media; sociotechnical systems; Special Section: Information, Technology, and the Changing Nature of Work; Technology; work; work organization
• ISSN: 1047-7047; 1526-5536
• DOI: 10.1287/isre.2014.0551

The information systems field started with the expectation that information and technology will significantly shape the nature of work. The topic provides ample scope for significant scholarly inquiry. Work content, process, and organization are now different from what they were in the 1960s and 1970s, which provided a foundation for theories and understanding. Although investigations about the changing nature of work have been made for years, this special section recognizes that the time of reckoning has come again. There is a growing need for deeper understanding of information, technology, and work. The specific contributions of this special section are at the heart of new frontiers of research in information, technology, and work. We observe a continued need to study their relationships, and to separate short-term and long-term effects. We expect continued surprises and conclude that patience is required to achieve increased understanding in this important domain.