Fusing technological design with social concerns : a socio-technical study of implementing interactive videoconferencing

Abstract: This paper examines the socio-technical interplay that occurred during the introduction of an information and communication technology (ICT)—specifically, interactive videoconferencing (IVC)—into a contemporary Australian university. It investigates the work and negotiations that transpired as a vision for a new multi-campus model of teaching was translated into reality. This study utilized Callon’s (1986) concept of the Sociology of Translation to interrogate the work and negotiations around the introduction of IVC to support teaching across multiple campuses. The research design deployed ANT conceptually, methodologically and analytically which offers a valuable approach to investigating the translations that occur during the implementation of an ICT into an organization. This paper makes an important contribution to knowledge by revealing some of the intricacies involved in fusing technological design with social concerns.