Actor Network Theory Perspective Research Articles

Felski’s Literary Sociological Thought From the Perspective of Actor-Network Theory

Felski’s Literary Sociological Thought From the Perspective of Actor-Network Theory

An Analysis of Cybersecurity Policy Compliance in Organisations

In the contemporary digital landscape, cyber-attacks and incidents have placed cyber-security at the forefront of priorities in organisations. As organisations face cyber risks, it becomes imperative to implement and comply with various cyber-security policies. However, due to factors such as policy complexity and resistance from employees, compliance can be a challenging task. The study, which took a comprehensive approach, investigated the variables that affect an organisation's adherence to cyber-security policies. The findings of this study provide insights into the challenges and factors influencing compliance with cyber-security policies in organisations. A case study design was chosen as part of a qualitative approach to answer the research question. For data gathering, semi-structured interviews were performed, and existing documents were also considered when available to supplement interviews. The gathered data was meticulously organised, coded, and analysed using the Actor-Network Theory perspective, with a focus on its four moments of translation: problematisation, interessement, enrolment, and mobilisation. The analysis revealed that insider threats and phishing attempts are the two cyber threats that affect organisations; behavioural challenges and enforcement limitations are factors that influence and contribute to the non-compliance of cyber-security policy; phishing exercises and policy development processes are used to enforce cyber-security policies.

Environmental Service Learning as University-Community Partnership: Using Actor-Network Theory to Examine a New Model of Engagement

Service learning has many documented benefits for students. The benefits to the communities are less clear. This study examines the unfolding of an environmental service-learning partnership from the perspective of one participating community liaison. We examine a new model of university-community engagement, where undergraduate students are paired with a local community to address environmental issues in courses that focus on adaptation and mitigation. We use actor-network theory (ANT) to explore the experiences of one community liaison, focusing specifically on factors that helped build and maintain the partnership and produced benefits for the community. Findings highlight the community liaison’s agency in negotiating partnership goals and determining the definition and treatment of environmental concerns. We conclude by identifying the insights an ANT perspective holds for service-learning and community-engagement research and practice.

Reassembling nursing in the digital age: An actor-network theory perspective.

This article explores the application of actor-network theory (ANT) to the nursing profession, proposing a novel perspective in understanding nursing in the context of modern digital healthcare. Traditional grand nursing theories, while foundational, often fail to encapsulate the dynamic and complex nature of nursing, particularly in an era of rapid technological advancements and shifting societal dynamics. ANT, with its emphasis on the relationships between human and nonhuman actors, offers a framework to understand nursing beyond traditional paradigms. This article makes two key arguments: first, that nursing can be viewed as a highly organised social assemblage, where both human (nurses, patients and policymakers) and nonhuman actors (technologies, medical equipment, institutional policies) play a crucial role, and second, that ANT can be used to enhance existing nursing theory to better understand the role of technology in nursing practice. The article considers how ANT can provide a more holistic and adaptable model for describing the nursing profession, particularly in an era where technology plays an integral role in healthcare delivery. It discusses the implications of viewing nursing through ANT, highlighting the need for nursing education and practice to adapt to the interconnected and technologically advanced nature of modern healthcare. The article also acknowledges the limitations of ANT, particularly its potential oversimplification of the complex ethical dimensions inherent in nursing and its focus on observable phenomena.

The creative process of two Indonesian NFT artists from the perspective of actor-network theory

The creative process of two Indonesian NFT artists from the perspective of actor-network theory

Peran Pemerintah Dalam Mengatur Tataniaga Garam: Dominansi Political Will atau Economic Interest? Sebuah Tinjauan Actor-Network Theory

Conflicting interests among parties involved in the salt commodity trade create challenges. This study employs qualitative methods to investigate the interactions between human and non-human actors. The primary data used in this study was collected through in-depth interviews with relevant parties. Additionally, the triangulation method utilizes secondary data from statistical sources such as the Central Statistics Agency (BPS), related Ministries, and regulations issued by related Ministries. The results indicate that the government's efforts to regulate salt trading have primarily focused on regulations and policies related to production, distribution, and imports. However, the government has not been extensively involved in regulating market players, which include salt farmers, landowners, middlemen or trade intermediaries, consumers (including the salt processing industry and salt user industries), and salt importers. According to the perspective of actor-network theory, the government plays a significant role in organizing the interaction of actors in the salt trade. However, the existence of competing interest in the salt trade illustrates that the actors involved have systematically gathered in a network based on their economic interests.

An Ethical Study of Generative AI from the Actor-Network Theory Perspective

The widespread use of Generative Artificial Intelligence in the innovation and generation of communication content is mainly due to its exceptional creative ability, operational efficiency, and compatibility with diverse industries. Nevertheless, this has also sparked ethical problems, such as unauthorized access to data, biased decision-making by algorithms, and criminal use of generated content. In order to tackle the security vulnerabilities linked to Generative Artificial Intelligence, we analyze ChatGPT as a case study within the framework of Actor-Network Theory. We have discovered a total of nine actors, including both human and non-human creatures. We examine the actors and processes of translation involved in the ethical issues related to ChatGPT and analyze the key players involved in the emergence of moral issues. The objective is to explore the origins of the ethical issues that arise with Generative Artificial Intelligence and provide a particular perspective on the governance of Generative Artificial Intelligence.

Constructing the digital ark: How China utilizes shared media to foster online information collaboration and crisis management in public emergency response

With the prevalence of collaborative editing tools, such as shared documents, a digital rescue platform functionality has emerged to address major unforeseen events, displaying notable self-organizing characteristics. This study examines the transformative role of sharing technologies in crisis communication, using documents from the 2021 Zhengzhou flood and adopting an actor-network theory perspective. Investigating how sharing technology influences situational information, the findings highlight its creation of a real-time, collaborative, and detailed crisis information environment, fostering self-rescue initiatives and positive emotional support. The shift from a closed situational information pool to a dynamic digital network underscores the evolving landscape of crisis communication in the digital age. Self-negotiation and self-restraint mechanisms mitigate rumor transmission, providing robust information support for subsequent rescue efforts. This research contributes valuable insights into the intricate dynamics of sharing technologies in crisis communication.

Enacting environmental commitments and initiatives in Australian Olympic sport: an actor-network theory perspective

ABSTRACT Rationale Existing studies on sport and environmental sustainability have overlooked the role of actors and elements influencing the integration of environmental considerations at central levels of the operations of sport organisations. Approach This paper uses Actor-Network Theory and semi-structured interviews to identify and critique actants and moments of translation embedded within the Australian Olympic sport network. Findings Seven actant roles were identified within the Australian Olympic sport organisations’ network structures enacting environmental commitments and initiatives: interrogators, custodians, coordinators, providers, amplifiers, bottlenecks, and distant disruptors. In addition, economic imperatives, environmental enlightenment, and the redesign of sport experiences were identified as transformative moments in the process of enacting. Practical implications This research informs environmental policy development in the research literature and policymaking aiming to adopt and promote environmental commitments in sport. Research contribution We argue that the enactment of environmental commitments and initiatives within Australian sport organisations is a dynamic, transformative process in which all parts of organisational actants (internal and external to the organisation; human or non-human actants) contribute to action, playing multiple roles empowering and constraining (at times, simultaneously) environmental sustainability transitions.

Negotiating Actors

This paper intends to address social robotics from the Actor-network theory (ANT) perspective. Starting from the critique of Seibt’s approach and the distinction between anthropomorphing and sociomorphing, the paper proposes a new methodological approach based on ANT and negotiation concepts. This approach allows us to: a) assume a more symmetrical ontology in which robots are considered as social agents, like humans; b) consider all the interactional elements as of equal importance; and c) overcome the dualistic limit that is often imposed on social robotics studies, i.e., the tendency to consider only the one-to-one relationship, one man-one robot, inside the laboratory. Anthropomorphing and sociomorphing are the results of a negotiation process that cannot be reduced to a series of degrees of simulation, but must be understood as a complex interactional process between many agents and material mediations.

The development of Dutch COVID-19 ICU triage guidelines from an institutional work perspective.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, two ICU triage guidelines were developed in the Netherlands-the Pandemic Guideline and the Guideline Code Black-ostensibly to tackle the threat of absolute care scarcity. Healthcare guidelines are generally based on evidence and prescribe what healthcare professionals should do in certain situations. We used the institutional work perspective, focusing on the human agency to create, maintain, and/or disrupt institutional structures, to study the development of these guidelines and observed that they did a lot more than just offering guidance to healthcare professionals. By including the Actor Network Theory (ANT) perspective on materiality's agency in our theoretical lens, we show how guidelines, as a materiality-a non-human artefact-interact with human actors and as such shape and are shaped by the social context. 17 online documents were analyzed. This analysis resulted in a timeline of events, which was used to identify key actors in the guideline development process. We included 12 purposely sampled respondents for semi-structured interviews. Interview transcripts were thematically coded. During their development, the guidelines played a role in diverse forms of institutional work performed by a variety of stakeholders to: 1) strengthen the medical profession of intensivists; 2) control the medical profession; 3) gain support for the actions needed; and 4) protect the medical profession. In turn, institutional work performed by these stakeholders also shaped the guidelines, indicating the two-sidedness of the interaction between human actors and materiality in the healthcare context. This case study shows how guidelines as a materiality and human actors interact and influence each other in multiple ways, resulting in institutional work and thus shaping two institutions: the guidelines and healthcare professions. We found that a materiality does not stand on its own but influences and shapes institutional work in relation to human actors. By studying the development, implementation, and use of the guidelines, we gained more empirical insights into the impact materiality can have on the social context of healthcare and how this can influence existing institutional environments.

The creative process of two Indonesian NFT artists from the perspective of actor-network theory

The development of crypto has resulted in NFT (non-fungible token) derivation. Artists began to explore the NFT market with its potential. NFT artists have different ways to get engagement and establish themselves in the world of NFT, whether in terms of artwork substance or in the social field. This study aims to deconstruct the actors behind NFT artists to elucidate the visual style and the social engagement of artists in the world of NFT. The method used in this study is a qualitative approach with data validation from interviews and NFT artwork samples. The data was subsequently processed using actor-network theory (ANT) to analyze and trace the actors behind the NFT artists. Two Indonesian artists, namely Angga Tantama and Mufti Prianka, became the study cases in this research. The result of this study shows heterogeneous actors who support the artists in their work's substance and social engagement. In the case of Mufti Prianka, NFTs influenced him to explore the possibilities of creating digital artworks, whereas for Angga, NFT platforms became one of his well-established channels to publish artworks. Based on their networks, the two Indonesian artists studied have different approaches and motivations in creating and engaging with NFTs.Proses kreatif dua seniman NFT Indonesia dalam perspektif teori jaringan aktorPerkembangan kripto telah menghasilkan derivasi NFT (non-fungible token). Para seniman mulai menjajaki pasar NFT dengan potensinya. Seniman NFT memiliki cara yang berbeda untuk mendapatkan keterlibatan dan memantapkan diri di dunia NFT baik dari segi substansi karya seni maupun dalam bidang sosial. Gaya visual dalam kategori ini bervariasi dengan seniman yang berbeda yang merupakan pencipta di belakangnya. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendekonstruksi aktor di balik seniman NFT untuk menjelaskan gaya visual dan keterlibatan sosial seorang seniman di dunia NFT. Metode yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah pendekatan kualitatif dengan validasi data dari wawancara dan sampel karya seni NFT. Data tersebut selanjutnya diolah menggunakan teori jaringan aktor (ANT) untuk menganalisis dan menelusuri aktor di balik seniman NFT. Dua seniman Indonesia menjadi studi kasus dalam penelitian ini, yaitu Angga Tantama dan Mufti Prianka. Hasil penelitian ini menunjukkan aktor heterogen yang mendukung seniman dalam substansi karya dan keterlibatan sosialnya. Dalam kasus Mufti Prianka, NFT memengaruhinya untuk mengeksplorasi kemungkinan dalam menciptakan karya seni digital, sedangkan pada Angga, platform NFT menjadi salah satu salurannya yang mapan untuk mempublikasikan karya seni. Berdasarkan jaringan mereka, dua seniman Indonesia yang diteliti memiliki pendekatan dan motivasi yang berbeda dalam menciptakan dan terlibat dengan NFT.

The factors influencing information technology solutions evaluation: A case of a Nigerian Bank from actor-network theory perspective

Although information technology (IT) solutions are deployed to enable organizational objectives, however, the solutions do at the same time constrain the operations, as was in the case of a Nigerian banking institution, ActionBank. Some of the attributes of the constraints arise because evaluation of the IT solutions is not regularly conducted. From both technical and non-technical perspectives, this study explores factors that influence the challenging constraints. Qualitative data, using semi-structured interview technique, were gathered from employees of both IT and business units of the bank. Actor-network theory was employed in the analysis. From the analysis, the factors that influence the deployment of IT solutions in the organization were found, which are Requirements; Alignment; Process-oriented; Random approach; Scalability and reliability; and Stock of knowledge. Figure 1 is used to illustrate the interaction and interdependence between these factors, as they influence the selection, deployment and evaluation of the IT solutions that are used to enable and support banking operations. The paper discusses how the factors manifest themselves to influence the selection and deployment of IT solutions in the organization. This brings a fresh perspective to both operational and strategic approaches in the use of IT solutions to enable and support banking goals and objectives.

Understanding digital information production in virtual communities from the perspective of Actor-Network Theory

Organizational management has been extended to tourism virtual entities. This study is to explore the organizational practice in the virtual scenario, through which investigates the process of knowledge creation. The online questionnaire survey is applied to collect the multisource and time-lagged data from boards of Internet forums. The polynomial regression and response surface method are used to examine the (in)congruence effect. The hypothesized relations are simultaneously estimated using structural equation modeling. Results show that when the forum moderator's (i.e., formal leader) and the opinion leader's bricolage capacity are in congruence and at the high level (high-high congruence), collaborative knowledge creation in an Internet forum is found to be the highest. Moreover, asymmetrical incongruence effects are found wherein the higher bricolage capacity of opinion leaders can weaken the adverse effect of the lower bricolage capacity of formal leaders on collaborative knowledge creation in an Internet forum. This study reveals the group dynamics in the information coproduction process on virtual communities, which expands the integration of Actor-Network Theory (ANT) and media networks and displays the fine-grained micro-picture of information production.

Accounting infrastructure and promissory sustainable extractive industries: an actor-network theory analysis

PurposeThis study aims to articulate the conceptual foundations of the role of accounting infrastructure (calculative practice and the communicative dimension of accounting) in extractive industries (EIs) towards a sustainable orientation from an actor-network theory (ANT) perspective.Design/methodology/approachThis study is a literature-based analysis of the calculative property and communicative dimension of accounting in EIs, using the concepts of calculability, assemblage and other related concepts from ANT to identify potentialities and limits of the roles of accounting in this sector.FindingsWhile accounting infrastructure can influence social and environmental outcomes, it has not, as yet, led to ecologically and socially sustainable practices in EIs. Calculative properties and the communicative dimension of accounting infrastructure have capabilities to foster the phenomenon of “sustainability” in EIs by valuing, disclosing (reporting) and governing EIs towards a sustainable orientation. Conceptualizing sustainable EIs as a promissory economy, accounting infrastructure serves as a tool not only to represent past performance but also to enact the future: it helps to shape a sustainable future for the industry by informing and triggering behavioural decisions of EIs firms towards sustainable practices.Research limitations/implicationsThis conceptual paper is anticipated to stimulate future sustainability accounting research. The research agenda discussed in this paper can be used to enrich our understanding of the role of accounting in sustainability.Originality/valueThis paper charts a direction for future research by interpreting the role of sustainability accounting within networks of sociotechnical relations, using ANT concepts which attach importance to the dualism of nature and society. Conceptualizing sustainability accounting and reporting as an infrastructure, which draws more attention to the relationality characteristic of accounting, the study goes beyond the traditional interpretation of accounting as a mediation device and draws on a contemporary view of accounting by invoking the dynamic relation between accounting and society, in the context of EIs.

Tamba and Damphu in Tambakaiten as the Network of Tamang and Songs

Santabir Lama’s Tamba Kaiten is a cultural documentation of Tamang community focusing especially in central region of Nepal, about cultural and religious rites and rituals through songs which are mentioned as whai and according to Macdonald (1983) hvai. Tamba is known as historian or cultural poet of Tamang who sings songs of genealogy, cultural rights and rituals along with different activities of daily lives and origin of the Earth and human beings. Kaiten is the document. Likewise, the Damphu is amusical instrument which has the most crucial role in singing and dancing. This research explores the network of Tamang culture and songs by Tamba from Bruno Latour’s perspective of Actor-Network theory. The study of different issues around us is not possible only through social perspective which centralizes human beings; there is the need of scientific study to focus both on quasi-subjective and quasi-objective agents. The Damphu also completes Tamba to contribute the network of Tamang culture of whai. The study is significant to study hybridity of actors in Network theory which doesn’t indicate only humans but also non-humans which play an avoidable role to complete a structure as being integral element.

Technological transformation in journalism: Journalists’ techno-cultural experiences from actor-network perspective

Objective: Technological transformations have profoundly changed the journalism professions. These transformational processes have been experienced by journalists in a techno-cultural environment where their personal and collective memories were shaped. This study employs oral history as the data collection technique in order to explore the details of this techno-cultural change from the actor-network theory (ANT) perspective. Research methods: A sample of 28 senior Turkish journalists were interviewed about their experiences on the technological transformations in their professional life. The transcribed text from these narrations were qualitatively analyzed by NVivo. Results: Journalists agreed that their work was more satisfactory during their past career, and they had faced some difficulties in new forms of technical practices. They also remembered how they were able to tackle some unexpected technical problems by introducing creative inventions. They generally acknowledged the negative effects of technology on the job cuts. Cognitive value: Interviewees’ narrations display the details of the change in journalism professions.

Popular Religion or Lived Religion? Exploring Indigenous Religious Festival Practice in Mexico

This article investigates the practice of lived religion in two contemporary indigenous communities in Mexico (San Juan Mixtepec, Oaxaca and El Espíritu, Hidalgo) by examining some of their unique religious festive traditions to analyze the ways in which human and non-human social actors interact with one another to create networks of symbolic meaning and senses of belonging. Specific examples of embodied practices and materiality in the festive cycle of each community are analyzed as the basis for their religious identities which also, the author suggests, create dynamic senses of community and self through the mutual sharing of symbolically significant cultural discourses. By analyzing different elements of traditional religious festivals in these two communities from the perspective of actor-network theory, the article reveals how the concept of “lived religion” can be used to express the realities of indigenous religious life in Mexico and as an alternative to “popular religion,” which typically resonates more frequently throughout the literature.

How to build business ecosystems for e-waste online recycling platforms: A comparative study of two typical cases in China

From the actor-network theory perspective, this study aims to explore how e-waste online recycling platforms build their business ecosystems through symbiotic strategies. A double-case comparative research has been conducted based on the two selected typical e-waste online recycling platforms in China. The study's findings show that translation plays a significant role in the process of symbiotic strategies promoting the construction of e-waste online recycling business ecosystems. This research proposes that translation is an important action for the implementation of the symbiotic strategy. The different symbiotic strategies need to be implemented in different translation ways. Platforms derived from an Internet company (PDICs), which prefer a mutualistic symbiotic strategy, usually adopt value cocreation translation through the following four steps: scenario definition, benefit sharing, emotional connection, and digital empowerment. Platforms derived from a recycling company (PDRCs)with a predatory symbiotic strategy adopt value capture translation through four steps: pain point identification, benefit allocation, the reputation effect, and rule reconstruction. We found that the difference in translation action triggers a difference in the structural elements of the business ecosystem. Then, two types of e-waste online recycling business ecosystems, embedded and central, are constructed.

The Formation and Performance of the Elementary School National Language Subject in Taiwan during 1945-1967: A Perspective of Actor-Network Theory

The Formation and Performance of the Elementary School National Language Subject in Taiwan during 1945-1967: A Perspective of Actor-Network Theory