Exploring Algorithmic Assemblages Through Multimodal Inquiry

Journal
Algorithmic Organizing
Start Page
181
End Page
208
Citation
in: Algorithmic Organizing, Vern L. Glaser, Christine Moser, Deborah A. Anderson, P. Devereaux Jennings (2025)
Publisher DOI
10.1108/s0733-558x20250000095009
Publisher
Emerald Publishing Limited
ISBN of container
9781837089284
9781837089291
9781837089307
We explore the increasing role of algorithms in organizational processes, conceptualized as “algorithmic organizing.” As algorithms move from being mere tools to embedded drivers of organizational processes, they redefine traditional boundaries in work practices. Drawing on the assemblage perspective, which treats algorithms as dynamic networks of human and non-human actors, we emphasize the sociomaterial interactions that shape algorithmic organizing. While traditional approaches to studying algorithmic organizing focus on verbal communication, we advocate for a multimodal research design that incorporates multiple modes, including but not limited to verbal/textual, visual, material, emotional, embodied, and spatial. Such an approach uncovers how meaning is constructed through layered interactions within algorithmic assemblages where agency is distributed among technical and human elements. We provide a methodological framework for multimodal research and illustrate its utility for investigating evolving sociomaterial processes in organizational contexts using empirical examples from our ongoing research within an IT consultancy. Our findings contribute to management scholarship by offering insights into how algorithmic organizing can be studied as a continuous, multimodal process, enhancing the transparency and accountability of algorithmic systems in organizations.