Researchers and practitioners generally observe a disparity in organisations between the actual uses of Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) and what was expected of them prior to implementation (Bowers, 1995). In order to investigate this phenomenon, Orlikowski (2000) developed a coherent and structured conceptual framework that can be used to analyse why actors develop such different uses for a given technology. While our paper uses her theoretical propositions as a framework for analysing uses, it seeks to extend her approach by means of a theoretical framework that can be used to understand the spirit of the technology and interactions between individuals and artefacts. Following an outline of these various concepts, a case study of the uses of a collaborative IS in a high-tech SME will serve as a basis for an initial test of this analytical framework and for discussing the contributions it makes.