Taking an empirical approach, this book presents a sociological study of the development, use, and evolution of standardized computer systems and commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) software packages.
"The book Pollock and Williams have written is an outstanding achievement and lasting signpost to future research." - Economic & Social Research Council
"Software and Organizations is a great academic work, theoretically insightful and empirically potent and compelling. In many respects, the volume could be interpreted as signalling the maturation of the cross-disciplinary field of technology and organization studies...A contribution like the one Pollock and Williams have made has long been wanted."- Jannis Kallinikos, Organization Studies
"The brilliant empirical chapters joined with in-depth engagement with the literature leave little to disagree with in Software and Organizations...Indeed, one is tempted to say that it may well show the way to the next wave of technology studies." - Sampsa Hyysalo, Social Studies of Science
"The authors convincingly propose a new analytical template, the Biography of Artefacts (BoA) framework, and align themselves with the so-called 'third wave' in Science and Technology Studies...The BoA framework constitutes the epitome of analytical advancements in the study of IT in organisations, over a period of more than 20 years by Edinburgh-based scholars." - Antonios Kaniadakis, Science Studies
"Software and Organizations makes an excellent and timely contribution to the literature and is an impressive piece of research...As STS scholars, Pollock and Williams' accomplishment is their commendable theorisation of the relations between technology and society." - Debra Howcroft, New Technology Work & Employment