ABSTRACT
Articulation work is the ‘work that gets things back “on track” in the face of the unexpected, and modifies action to accommodate unanticipated contingencies. The concept of articulation work, coined by Strauss and elaborated by many others, is useful, because it offers a framework to understand what the coordination and integration of distributed work really means. The articulation work affects a range of actors, both human and non-human. Different constellations of actors are emerging, of which some may be unprecedented. Articulation work is often considered as an overhead cost, a workload that is complex and demanding. Much effort is thus put into reducing this workload, and enhanced or new information and communication technology systems are often central parts of the solution. This view on articulation work obscures the fact that the ways in which the meaning and effect of different types of work is experienced is relative to the point of observation.
