Introducing Archetype Theory to Information Systems Research: A Literature Review and Call for Future Research

Studying organizational configurations on the one hand and the dynamics of organizational change on the other hand are dominant topics of interest in the information systems (IS) discipline. Studies in each of these research streams take advantage of various well-established theoretical lenses from reference disciplines such as management science. In this study, we take a closer look at archetype theory, which combines these two research streams and which eventually provides a dynamic perspective on organizational configurations. Through a literature review, this study provides a comprehensive understanding of archetype theory (i.e., its constitutive constructs and assumptions) as well as on its application in studying dynamics of configurations. In introducing archetype theory to IS research, we discuss the explanatory power of the respective theory for investigating IS phenomena as well as the methodological and theoretical implications of employing the theory in IS research.