Wanda Orlikowski

Wanda Orlikowski is the Alfred P. Sloan Professor of Information Technology and Organization Studies at MIT's Sloan School of Management. She is a leading scholar in the field of information systems and organizational studies, with a focus on how digital technologies reshape work practices, organizational structures, and accountability mechanisms.

Dr. Orlikowski received her Ph.D. from New York University. Her academic journey has established her as a prominent figure in understanding the sociomaterial dimensions of digital work and organizational change.

Orlikowski's research examines how technologies in the workplace generate significant shifts in organizing, coordination, and accountability. She is particularly known for her work on sociomaterial practices in digital work, exploring how digital reconfigurations transform organizational life. Her theoretical contributions have significantly advanced our understanding of technology's role in shaping contemporary work practices and organizational structures. Through her research, she has illuminated the complex interplay between material technologies and social practices, demonstrating how they co-constitute each other in organizational settings.

Her publications reveal a consistent focus on digital transformation, organizational change, and the sociomaterial nature of work. Recent work increasingly examines AI, algorithmic coordination, and the "digital undertow" - the corollary effects of digital transformation that often go unnoticed but significantly impact industry standards and organizational practices. Her research spans multiple sectors including public libraries, hospitality, financial services, and general organizational settings, demonstrating the broad applicability of her theoretical frameworks.

• Distinguished Scholar Award of the Organizational Communication and Information Systems (OCIS) Division of the Academy of Management
• Lasting Impact Award from the ACM's Computer-Supported Cooperative Work Community
• Fellow of the Academy of Management (2019)
• Fellow of the British Academy (2021)
• Seegal Prize (2024)
• Lifetime Achievement Award (2023)
• Best Information Systems Publications Award (with JoAnne Yates)
• Recipient of an honorary doctorate

Professor Orlikowski has served as an editor for Organization Science and MIS Quarterly, and currently serves on the editorial boards of Information and Organization, Organization Science, and the Annals of the Academy of Management. She has published widely in top-tier journals including ACM Transactions on Information Systems, Administrative Science Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Organization Science, and MIS Quarterly. Her work has been highly influential in both information systems and organizational studies fields, bridging theoretical perspectives and empirical investigations of digital work practices.

As a member of several MIT research centers including the MIT Center for Information Systems Research, MIT Center for Collective Intelligence, The MIT Initiative on the Digital Economy, and the MIT Leadership Center, Orlikowski contributes to interdisciplinary research on digital transformation and its organizational implications. Her executive education courses, such as "Unlocking the Power of Perspectives," demonstrate her commitment to translating academic insights into practical leadership development.