Hack for impact – sociomateriality and the emergent structuration of social hackathons

Purpose Social hackathons are events designed to craft social change using technology that enables citizen empowerment or addresses societal issues by deploying data. Hackathons provide a framework for organizing help create prototypes and business models through interaction with technology. The relevance of the sociomateriality emergent (prototype) organizational structure raises question if viable impactful solutions can be developed within such frames. Design/methodology/approach This study applies an inductive research methodology based on ethnographic participant observation, interviews participants event organizers, qualitative insights from surveys. Findings Events as centered around share vision creating opportunities change. materiality may define their patterns. differentiation embodiment structuration breaking point in-group dynamics barrier innovation. longer initial phase problem definition ideation group was found have more potential technological artifact. Some cases reveal “expert” who shared visions enabled were constrained other members. Originality/value paper suggests extended view connection sociomateriality, impact.