Articulating Coordination of Human Activity - the Activity Domain Theory

Abstract

In this paper we present a new theory for the coordination of human activity, the Activity Domain Theory. Human activity is seen in the light of cooperating practices which need to be coordinated. The central idea in the theory is to integrate coordinating elements of a practice into a coherent whole which we call the activity domain. The ontological foundation of the theory is the praxis philosophy in which signs, shared meaning and the construction of social reality are emphasized. The origin of the theory is in the Ericsson telecommunication company where it has been gradually refined over more than a decade by the author. Recently the theory has been applied in the coordination of the development of the 3rd generation of mobile systems. This application included the development of a global information system supporting the coordination. We describe the theory, its development and some of its impacts on the Ericsson practice. We also discuss possible implications of the theory for information system development and organizational theory. Key words: integrating framework, coordination, practice, information systems, activity domain theory, telecom application 1