Information Flows and Coordination in Fragmented Sociotechnical Systems : Understanding fragmented information infrastructures through Distributed Cognition, DiCoT, and Activity Theory

Sammanfattning

This thesis examines how work-related information is cognitively distributed across people, systems, artefacts, and representations within a fragmented organisational information environment. The study was conducted as a qualitative case study at Kårservice, an organisation responsible for coordinating operational and administrative activities connected to student life at Linköping University. Drawing on Distributed Cognition as the primary theoretical framework, and supported by Distributed Cognition for Teamwork (DiCoT) and Activity Theory, the thesis investigates how information flows and coordination practices are shaped across disconnected systems, communication channels, and organisational routines. Empirical data were collected through four semi-structured interviews with employees occupying different organisational roles and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2021). The findings show that coordination relies heavily on informal communication, manual information reconstruction, personal experience, and externally created artefacts used to maintain continuity across fragmented systems. Coordination breakdowns primarily occurred when information had to be reconstructed across disconnected representations, systems, and actors rather than accessed through coherent workflows. The study demonstrates how fragmented information infrastructures redistribute cognitive and coordinative demands onto employees, who continuously compensate for missing integration and limited organisational overview through social interaction, digital tools, and material representations. It also shows how Distributed Cognition, DiCoT, and Activity Theory make different aspects of these challenges visible, providing complementary insights into information flows, coordination practices, and organisational structures. The thesis contributes to research on distributed and sociotechnical cognition while offering design-relevant insights into how information environments can better support coordination and collaborative work.