Montiel, Mauricio

m.montiel@lse.ac.uk

A Contextualist Approach for Understanding History, Social Networks, and the Role of IT in Shaping Interdependencies in Two Airlines

The fast pace of competition has resulted in changes in the way organisations are structured. Some of the new characteristics of firms are their flexibility in their organisational structures and the connection of internal networks to external networks. This creates interdependencies among the different actors within the same organisation and with other organisations.

This research aims to understand the role of IT in the strengthening or weakening of interdependencies when the multiple contractual relations of an organisation are influenced by factors embedded in social relations. It will draw on the notions of actors, networks and context and the role of technology, and it will concentrate specifically on low cost carriers and network carriers in the airline industry.

A contextualist approach will give the basis to relate the elements that influence the formation or destruction of interdependencies. In addition, actor network theory will help to highlight the role of IT. The empirical work will be conducted in two different airline companies which have different organisational structures. In understanding their different historical backgrounds and structural elements I will try to explain the role of IT when companies are embedded in complex networks.

Supervisor: Nathalie Mitev, PhD

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