Abstract

In this paper we offer some new insights into the interpretation of the relationship between the introduction of Information Technology devices and their effects on working time. Prevailing theories suggest a mechanistic link between technology adoption and its effects on work, both in terms of quantity and quality. In contrast, we claim that technology adoption is a means to implement organizational choices regarding both the technical and the social structure of tasks. Drawing our evidence from a case study describing the introduction of a new ERP system in a car rental company, we show how these organizational changes affect the pace of work activities, the balance between working and leisure time and the balance between production and learning time.