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by staff, supervisors, and management of broader issues that pattern or sequence of tasks (see Butler & Gray, 2006;
can affect patient care, ranging from how long a person has Timmermans & Berg, 2003). Planning and predicting are
been on duty to the availability of needed supplies. A second particularly crucial in mindfully managing unexpected
set of research focuses on the content and form of conversa- events because this happens in a dynamic and time-con-
tions because sensemaking via communication is seen as the strained environment. In contrast to this rather optimistic
major social process through which the five processes of view, critical management scholars argue that tools are used
mindful organizing operate. In the field of medical work, as a means to exert control over organizational members
studies often find that open communication and respectful (Clegg & Courpasson, 2004; Hodgson, 2002). From this per-
interaction (Sutcliffe, 2011; Vogus & Sutcliffe, 2007a, spective, tools shape organizational practices in terms of
2007b) or safety culture (Pronovost et al., 2006; Vogus et al., assigning, claiming, or refuting accountability. Although
2010) foster mindful organizing. For example, Vogus and these studies do not address mindful organizing explicitly,
Sutcliffe (2007a, 2007b) demonstrate that respectful interac- they draw attention to issues of temporality and accountabil-
tion among nurses establishes higher degrees of mindful ity that become salient when tools are considered. The idea
organizing and mindfulness, which results in fewer medica- that exploring the nature of tools brings aspects of mindful
tion errors and patient falls. The majority of the aforemen- organizing to the fore that have been neglected by the exist-
tioned studies is firmly rooted in the Weickian view on ing literature is rooted in the concept of sociomateriality.
mindful organizing, and therefore focuses on action and
communication. More recently, research recognized the role Sociomateriality, Inscriptions, and Tools
of tools in mindful organizing.
Carroll and Rudolph (2006) argue that tools are beneficial Sociomaterial accounts suggest that tools or technology and
for mindful organizing in health care organizations because interactions with them should not be treated as separate but
they contribute to mapping causal relationships, noting and that both are constitutive and consequential for organiza-
accounting for time delays, and finding points of leverage for tional phenomena. In other words, work will be performed
system changes that are usually hidden. In contrast, Melby differently depending on its enactment, which involves peo-
and Toussaint (2011) show in their case study that tools hin- ple as well as material artifacts such as tools (Orlikowski &
der mindful organizing as unforeseen events become harder Scott, 2008). In the information systems literature and orga-
to understand through standardized templates. Other schol- nization studies, the notion of sociomateriality has emerged
ars, whose research has not taken place in the medical work as an umbrella term for analyses that focus on “material”
context, have suggested more complex forms of interaction aspects of organizational practices (Jones, 2014; Orlikowski
with both negative and positive effects on mindful organiz- & Scott, 2008). Here, materiality refers to the persistence of
ing (Butler & Gray, 2006; Carlo et al., 2012; Valorinta, the arrangement of an artifact’s physical and/or digital mate-
2009). For example, Butler and Gray (2006) argue that com- rials across space and time (Jones, 2014). Based on this
puter-based tools use routines to induce reliability but that understanding, we view tools as artifacts (i.e., human-made
they are inherently flawed systems, which is why the interac- nonhuman objects) that consist of material and/or immaterial
tion between users and information systems is often more templates, and codify organizational rules for how to process
emergent than prescribed in a routine. They, therefore, sug- these templates to solve a business-related problem. In con-
gest mindfulness-based reliability as a supplementing con- trast to a medical “tool” or instrument (e.g., a scalpel), which
cept in addition to routine-based reliability. In contrast, may embody the rule of how to hold and use it, our definition
Valorinta (2009) shows that computer-based tools enhance of tools stresses the organizational dimension of rules.
mindfulness by heightening attention through cultivating Computer-based management tools normally offer templates
awareness of risks, careful analysis of issues, and increased or forms that are digitally represented on a screen, and can or
organizational collaboration, as well as by enriching action must be populated with text, numbers, or graphics according
repertoires. However, Valorinta also finds that computer- to codified rules of planning, coordinating, decision making,
based tools inhibit mindfulness by routinizing, automating, or reporting. As both the templates and the rules are crucial,
and making work inflexible. further theorizing is needed here.
Against the background of these ambiguous and some- The notion of inscription has been found helpful to explain
times contradictory findings, we suggest that scholars should the nature and role of computer-based management tools
pay more attention to the nature and role of computer-based such as the templates of enterprise resource planning sys-
tools because the theoretical conception shapes the way tems (Quattrone & Hopper, 2005), charts and tables of a
scholars study organizational practices (Orlikowski & Scott, Balanced Scorecard (Qu & Cooper, 2011), or clinical prac-
2008). For example, tools and technology are traditionally tice guidelines (Timmermans & Berg, 2003). Inscriptions
portrayed in terms of planning, predictability, and standard- refer to material textual translations of any setting, such as
ization because computer-based tools can support actors in written texts, tables and charts, numbers, and lists, which are
anticipating the occurrence of inputs and outputs within a to be acted upon (Latour, 1986). The concept of inscriptions