Digital Coordination of Work: How Data, Intelligence, and Transparency Reshape Organizational Practice

Digital advancements have transformed how people work, interact, and experience their environments, demanding a revised understanding of work coordination. While current coordination theories remain influential, they struggle to explain emerging digital work practices. This paper critically examines the literature that applies Malone and Crowston’s coordination theory, uncovering their underlying assumptions. Building on concepts like ontological reversal and organizational digitization, we identify key needs for an updated theory. Our goal is to spark renewed interest in long-standing coordination theories and encourage scholars to explore how coordination theories can evolve to address the realities of today’s digital work environments.