Maturing, Flagshipping and Piggybacking: On the Use of Structuration Theory in Information Systems Research

The debate on structure and agency has a long-standing tradition in the social sciences. Developed by the British sociologist Anthony Giddens, Structuration Theory proposed the duality of structure , the notion that structure and agency are inseparable in practice. Information Systems (IS) researchers have developed IS-specific adaptations of Giddens\u27s ideas. We add to previous reviews on the use of Structuration Theory in IS by focusing on the adoption of individual concepts set forth by the theory and its IS adaptations. Based on our analysis of references to these concepts in the major journals and conferences we argue that the use of Structuration Theory in IS has matured over the past decade. We also find that some structurational concepts are frequently used as flagships and in combination ( piggybacked ). Finally, we plead in favor of a more widespread use of agency as a fundamental concept of Giddens\u27s theory