{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,6]],"date-time":"2026-04-06T17:32:37Z","timestamp":1775496757903,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":90,"publisher":"Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS)","issue":"5","content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Organization Science"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2007,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:p>This paper introduces the narrative network as a device for representing patterns of \u201ctechnology in use.\u201d The narrative network offers a novel conceptual vocabulary for the description of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their relationship to organizational forms. We argue that as ICTs have become increasingly modular and recombinable, so have organizational processes and forms. The narrative network draws on concepts from structuration theory, actor network theory (ANT), and the theory of organizational routines. A narrative network expresses the set of stories (performances) that have been, or could be, generated by combining and recombining fragments of technology in use. This paper discusses how thinking of technology and organizations as narrative networks influences our understanding of design.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1070.0283","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2007,10,14]],"date-time":"2007-10-14T15:42:33Z","timestamp":1192376553000},"page":"781-795","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":251,"title":["Narrative Networks: Patterns of Technology and Organization"],"prefix":"10.1287","volume":"18","author":[{"given":"Brian T.","family":"Pentland","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Accounting and Information Systems, N259 Business Complex, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824"}]},{"given":"Martha S.","family":"Feldman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Planning, Policy, and Design, 226G Social Ecology I, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California 92697"}]}],"member":"109","reference":[{"key":"B1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0049124192020004002"},{"key":"B2","volume-title":"The Syntax of Social Life: The Theory and Method of Comparative Narratives","author":"Abell P.","year":"1987"},{"key":"B3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1146\/annurev.soc.29.010202.100113"},{"issue":"4","key":"B4","first-page":"34","volume":"44","author":"Andal-Ancion A.","year":"2003","journal-title":"Sloan Management Rev."},{"key":"B5","volume-title":"Narratology: Introduction to the Theory of Narrative","author":"Bal M.","year":"1985"},{"key":"B6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2392767"},{"key":"B7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511625459.005"},{"key":"B8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1057\/ejis.1995.8"},{"key":"B9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/016224399802300406"},{"key":"B10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1070.0248"},{"key":"B11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2393432"},{"key":"B12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/9781503621749"},{"key":"B13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1525\/9780520341715","volume-title":"A Grammar of Motives","author":"Burke K.","year":"1969"},{"key":"B14","volume-title":"The Death of Distance: How the Communications Revolution Will Change Our Lives","author":"Cairncross F.","year":"1997"},{"issue":"4","key":"B15","first-page":"128","volume":"4","author":"Chen M.","year":"2003","journal-title":"J. Electronic Commerce Res."},{"key":"B16","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1147\/sj.444.0653"},{"key":"B17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1139922.1139945"},{"key":"B18","volume-title":"Design of Inquiring Systems: Basic Concepts of Systems and Organization","author":"Churchman C. W.","year":"1971"},{"key":"B19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/271081"},{"key":"B20","volume-title":"XML, Web Services, and the Data Revolution","author":"Coyle F. P.","year":"2002"},{"key":"B21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/130994.130998"},{"key":"B22","volume-title":"Narrating the Organization: Dramas of Institutional Identity","author":"Czarniawska B.","year":"1997"},{"key":"B23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781412983235"},{"key":"B24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1350508404047251"},{"key":"B25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/9783110879735.13"},{"key":"B26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.5.2.121"},{"key":"B27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/02683960210145986"},{"key":"B28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1060.0181"},{"key":"B29","volume-title":"Characteristics of Socio-Technical Systems","author":"Emery F.","year":"1959"},{"key":"B30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/09593840410542501"},{"key":"B31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/0022250X.1999.9990228"},{"key":"B32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.11.6.611.12529"},{"key":"B33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/icc\/12.4.727"},{"key":"B34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/3556620"},{"key":"B35","first-page":"91","volume-title":"Actor-Network Theory and Organizing","author":"Feldman M. S.","year":"2005"},{"key":"B36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/icc\/12.2.299"},{"key":"B37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.6.4.337"},{"key":"B38","volume-title":"The Interpretation of Culture: Selected Essays","author":"Geertz C.","year":"1973"},{"key":"B39","volume-title":"The Constitution of Society","author":"Giddens A.","year":"1984"},{"key":"B40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511557699.013"},{"key":"B41","volume-title":"The Machine at Work: Technology, Work, and Organization","author":"Grint K.","year":"1997"},{"key":"B42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1108\/09593840410542466"},{"key":"B43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1080\/0022250X.1989.9990048"},{"key":"B44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/0304-422X(72)90040-X"},{"key":"B45","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1515\/semi.1973.7.2.163"},{"key":"B46","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/25148625"},{"key":"B47","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1050.0167"},{"key":"B48","unstructured":"Jones M. R., Karsten H. Review: Structuration theory and information systems research. (2003) . Working Paper 2003\/11, Judge Institute of Management, Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK"},{"key":"B49","first-page":"287","volume-title":"23rd Internat. Conf. Inform. Systems","author":"Kallinkos J.","year":"2002"},{"key":"B50","first-page":"268","volume-title":"Power, Action, and Belief","author":"Latour B.","year":"1986"},{"key":"B51","volume-title":"Science in Action","author":"Latour B.","year":"1987"},{"key":"B52","first-page":"103","volume-title":"A Sociology of Monsters: Essays on Power, Technology and Domination","author":"Latour B.","year":"1991"},{"key":"B53","volume-title":"Aramis: The Love of Technology","author":"Latour B.","year":"1996"},{"key":"B54","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1093\/oso\/9780199256044.001.0001","volume-title":"Reassembling the Social: An Introduction to Actor-Network Theory","author":"Latour B.","year":"2005"},{"key":"B55","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/0306312792022001002"},{"key":"B56","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/BF01059830"},{"key":"B57","volume-title":"Actor Network Theory and After","author":"Law J.","year":"1999"},{"key":"B58","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/1180875.1180950"},{"key":"B59","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1060.0197"},{"issue":"5","key":"B60","first-page":"E1","author":"Markoff J.","year":"2006","journal-title":"New York Times"},{"issue":"3","key":"B61","first-page":"21","volume":"47","author":"McAfee A. P.","year":"2006","journal-title":"Sloan Management Rev."},{"key":"B62","volume-title":"Explaining Organizational Behavior","author":"Mohr L.","year":"1982"},{"key":"B63","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/135050840293013"},{"key":"B65","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.3.3.398"},{"key":"B66","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.11.4.404.14600"},{"key":"B67","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/3250927"},{"key":"B68","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/isre.12.2.121.9700"},{"key":"B69","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/001872678203501207"},{"key":"B70","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4135\/9781452204703.n13"},{"key":"B71","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/mnsc.49.7.857.16382"},{"key":"B72","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/icc\/dth070"},{"key":"B73","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.2307\/2091811"},{"key":"B74","volume-title":"Morphology of the Folktale","author":"Propp V.","year":"1927"},{"key":"B75","volume-title":"Narrative Analysis","author":"Reissman C. K.","year":"1993"},{"key":"B76","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4324\/9780203426111"},{"key":"B77","volume-title":"The Sciences of the Artificial","author":"Simon H.","year":"1969"},{"key":"B78","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1145\/223248.223263"},{"key":"B79","volume-title":"Organizations in Action","author":"Thompson J. D.","year":"1967"},{"key":"B80","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/001872675100400101"},{"key":"B81","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.13.5.567.7810"},{"key":"B82","volume-title":"Assoc. Internet Researchers 5.0","author":"Walker J.","year":"2004"},{"key":"B83","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/978-0-387-35309-8_23"},{"key":"B84","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1017\/CBO9780511815478"},{"key":"B85","volume-title":"The Social Psychology of Organizing","author":"Weick K. E.","year":"1979","edition":"2"},{"key":"B86","volume-title":"Sensemaking in Organizations","author":"Weick K. E.","year":"1995"},{"key":"B87","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1060.0196"},{"key":"B88","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1287\/orsc.1050.0170"},{"key":"B89","first-page":"1","volume-title":"On Narrative","author":"White H.","year":"1981"},{"key":"B90","volume-title":"Process and Reality","author":"Whitehead A. N.","year":"1978"},{"key":"B91","volume-title":"Management and Technology","author":"Woodward J.","year":"1958"}],"container-title":["Organization Science"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/pubsonline.informs.org\/doi\/pdf\/10.1287\/orsc.1070.0283","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2024,2,18]],"date-time":"2024-02-18T13:39:54Z","timestamp":1708263594000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/pubsonline.informs.org\/doi\/10.1287\/orsc.1070.0283"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2007,10]]},"references-count":90,"journal-issue":{"issue":"5","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2007,10]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1287\/orsc.1070.0283"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1287\/orsc.1070.0283","relation":{},"ISSN":["1047-7039","1526-5455"],"issn-type":[{"value":"1047-7039","type":"print"},{"value":"1526-5455","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2007,10]]}}}