Building on Nagel's theory of social structure, this paper argues that the microsocial dynamics occasioned by new technologies systematically reverberate up levels of analysis. This theory is illustrated by ethnographic and sociometric data drawn from a study comparing usage of traditional and computerized imaging devices in two radiology…

Stern and Barley's article in this same "Administrative Science Quarterly" issue gives too much attention to work appearing in the core organization journals and not enough to findings reported in broader and more specialized social-science journals and the book literature. Surveying this broader domain suggests that organizational…

The social-systems perspective in organizational theory faded because the increasing complexity of social relations hindered determination of an appropriate unit of analysis. Also, the business-school environment in which organizational research occurred discouraged examination of broad social questions, promoted a particular approach to science,…