Call for papers: Synthetic Organising in Digital Transformation with Algorithmic Systems

2025-12-23

Editors:

Alessio Maria Braccini (University of Agder, Norway – University of Tuscia, Italy, alessio.m.braccini@uia.no)

Alessandra Lazazzara (University of Milan, Italy, alessandra.lazazzara@unimi.it)

Leona Chandra Kruse (University of Agder, Norway, leona.chandra@uia.no)

Thorsten Schoormann (Roskilde University, Denmark, tschoormann@ruc.dk)

Digital technology has always been a constitutive element of organising (Zammuto et al., 2007), serving as a resource used alongside other technological and human resources in an organic social setting, guided by people inspired by sociotechnical approaches to design (Bostrom et al., 2009). Digital technology has always brought transformative potential to organising (Fulk and DeSanctis, 1995; Zammuto et al., 2007). Today, however, we witness a more profound transformation: algorithmic systems advancements acquired learning, and actor capabilities reconfiguring the very logics of agency, coordination, decision-making, and accountability. These developments pave the way for what we call synthetic organising—a new form of sociotechnical ensemble where humans and technological artefacts jointly shape routines, autonomy, and accountability in organising processes—that would increasingly characterise working environments of the future (Boussioux et al., 2024). This thematic issue calls the information systems and organisation studies community to explore this emerging phenomenon and contribute to its theorisation. Synthetic organising extends beyond the anthropomorphic perception of technology by people (Peter et al., 2025). It marks a more profound shift in how organising itself unfolds. It prompts fresh thinking about how the sociotechnical ensemble should be designed to accommodate organisational systems where algorithmic and human capacities are increasingly interdependent (Baird and Maruping, 2021). Such reconfigurations raise new questions about structure, power, and adaptation that require theoretical and empirical exploration.

While research has devoted much attention to innovation adoption and technology perception – e.g., Camilleri (2024) – less is known about how organising is reconstituted when algorithmic systems become integral to organising processes themselves. On the one hand, algorithmic systems are increasingly perceived as autonomous agents or actors by people, with anthropomorphic characteristics that enhance this perception (Balakrishnan et al., 2022; Han et al., 2023). On the other hand, the agentic capabilities represent a recent and clear development trend in the AI industry, integrating the basic foundations of organising, such as sensing, learning, deciding, delegating, and goal orienting (Choo, 1996; Weick, 2020).

This thematic issue invites scholars from information systems, organisation studies, and related disciplines to examine synthetic forms of organising that emerge through the interplay of human and computational elements. We welcome studies that theorise or empirically analyse how delegation, control, and accountability are distributed and enacted across human–technology collectives. Conceptual, theoretical, and empirical contributions are all encouraged.

The objective of this thematic issue is to generate a nuanced dialogue that recognises the opportunities and limitations of technology use in a synthetic organising, contributing to theoretical and practical understanding of social and organisational dynamics with algorithmic systems, offering implications for research and practice beyond the hype of digital transformation. Submissions may address, but are not limited to, topics such as:

  • Organisation design and the governance of synthetic organising;
  • The negotiation of roles, routines, and responsibilities between human and AI algorithmic systems.
  • Emerging capabilities or vulnerabilities in synthetic organising;
  • Ethical, managerial, and cultural aspects of synthetic organising;
  • People and technology ensemble management implications in synthetic organising;
  • Control, accountability, and sustainability practices with algorithmic systems.

Specific submission instruction:

This is a joint thematic issue between the puntOorg International Journal (pIJ) and the Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems. We invite authors interested in exploring the synthetic organising dynamics with focus on information systems concepts, theories, and artefacts-in-use to submit to the Scandinavian Journal of Information Systems. Authors who would like to explore synthetic organising dynamics from the point of view of organising processes, organisational settings, and organisation theories should submit to the the puntOorg International Journal (pIJ). In all cases, the call invites papers taking a sociotechnical stance towards synthetic organising.

While we appreciate design-oriented approaches, we cannot consider papers with purely technical focus, such as model optimisation or algorithms advancement.

Purely technical papers will not be considered suitable for the thematic issue and subsequently desk rejected. The thematic issue editors will manage submissions submitted to both journals.

Thematic issue editors, after consultation with authors, may suggest transferring the submission across journals at the beginning of the review process.

Important dates:

Papers may be submitted electronically between the dates of 30th April 2025 and 30th September 2026 at: Submissions | puntOorg International Journal.

Papers will undergo two rounds of double-blind peer review. Papers can be submitted at any time between the opening of submissions and the final deadline. The peer review process will start after the deadline for paper submission. Papers submitted, reviewed, and accepted will be published online first, and later in the thematic issue of the journal in 2027.

Authors who plan to submit to this thematic issue must explicitly mention it in the cover letter, indicating the name of the thematic issue.

References

Baird A and Maruping LM (2021) The next generation of research on IS use: A theoretical framework of delegation to and from agentic IS artefacts. MIS Quarterly 45(1): 342.

Balakrishnan J, Abed SS and Jones P (2022) The role of meta-UTAUT factors, perceived anthropomorphism, perceived intelligence, and social self-efficacy in chatbot-based services? Technological Forecasting and Social Change 180. North-Holland: 121692.

Bostrom RP, Gupta S and Thomas D (2009) A Meta-Theory for Understanding Information Systems Within Sociotechnical Systems. Journal of Management Information Systems 26(1): 17–48.

Boussioux L, Lane JN, Zhang M, et al. (2024) The crowdless future? Generative AI and creative problem-solving. Organization Science 35(5): 1589–1607.

Camilleri MA (2024) Factors affecting performance expectancy and intentions to use ChatGPT: Using SmartPLS to advance an information technology acceptance framework. Technological Forecasting and Social Change 201: 123247.

Choo CW (1996) The knowing organization: How organizations use information to construct meaning, create knowledge and make decisions. International Journal of Information Management 16(5): 329–340.

Fulk J and DeSanctis G (1995) Electronic Communication and Changing Organizational Form. Organization Science 6(4). INFORMS: 337–349.

Han E, Yin D and Zhang H (2023) Bots with Feelings: Should AI Agents Express Positive Emotion in Customer Service? Information Systems Research 34(3): 1296–1311.

Peter S, Riemer K and West JD (2025) The benefits and dangers of anthropomorphic conversational agents. PNAS 122(22).

Weick KE (2020) Sensemaking, Organizing, and Surpassing: A Handoff. Journal of Management Studies 57(7): 1420–1431.

Zammuto RF, Griffith TL, Majchrzak A, et al. (2007) Information Technology and the Changing Fabric of Organization. Organization Science 18(5): 749–762.