Digitalisation and work : Sociomaterial entanglements in steel production

The purpose of this paper is to theorize how different sociomaterial entanglements affect work practices. Based on a qualitative case study, we compare and contrast three empirical Factory-cases; the Non-digital-and-non-lean factory; the Somewhat-digital-and-lean factory; and the More-thoroughly-digital-factory. When comparing these three cases, we are able to show that the different sociomaterial entanglements enact different spheres of concern. The contribution of the paper lies in its’ unveiling of how the spheres of concern differ in terms of temporal orientation and localization, and depending on the entanglement of technologies and production management models. Digitized management – what can we learn from England and Sweden