Damsgaard / Zinner Henriksen Networked Information Technologies

Diffusion and Adoption
1. Auflage 2006
ISBN: 978-1-4020-7862-0
Verlag: Springer
Format: PDF
Kopierschutz: 1 - PDF Watermark

E-Book, Englisch, Band 138, 231 Seiten

Reihe: IFIP Advances in Information and Communication Technology

Software systems that used to be relatively autonomous entities such as e.g. accounting systems, order-entry systems etc. are now interlinked in large networks comprising extensive information infrastructures. What earlier used to be stand-alone proprietary systems are now for the most part replaced by more or less standardized interdependent systems that form large networks of production and use. Organizations have to make decisions about what office suite to purchase? The easiest option is to continuously upgrade the existing office suite to the latest version, but the battle between WordPerfect and Microsoft Word demonstrated that the choice is not obvious.

What instant messenger network to join for global communication? Preferably the one most colleagues and friends use; AOL Instant Messenger, Microsoft Messenger, and ICQ represent three satisfactory, but disjunctive alternatives. Similarly organizations abandon their portfolio of homegrown IT systems and replace them with a single Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system. Several ERP alternatives exist on the market, but which is the right one for you? The argumentation and rationale behind these considerations are obviously related to the technological and social networks we are embedded in, but it is not always easy to specify how.

Networked Information Technologies: Diffusion and Adoption offers contributions from academics and practitioners who study networked information systems from a diffusion and adoption point of view. Themes related to the conceptualisation of diffusion and adoption of networked information systems are discussed along with studies of the diffusion of networked information systems in public sector institutions and private businesses.

This volume contains the edited proceedings of the IFIP Conference on The Diffusion and Adoption of Networked Information Technologies, which was sponsored by the International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP) Working Group 8.6 and held in Copenhagen, Denmark in October 2003.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Damsgaard, Jan

Zinner Henriksen, Helle

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1;Contents;5
2;Editors’ preface;7
3;Chapter 1 The Socio-political Construction of CareSys;13
3.1;1. INTRODUCTION;13
3.2;2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND;14
3.3;3. RESEARCH METHOD;15
3.4;4. CARESYS – A SYSTEM FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF ELDERLY CARE;16
3.5;5. AN ANALYTICAL FRAMEWORK FOR ACTOR SENSITIVE EVALUATION;17
3.5.1;5.1 From Idea to IT system;17
3.5.2;5.2 Intended and Experienced Effects;18
3.5.3;5.3 ‘The Due Process Model’;19
3.6;6. HOW TO CARRY OUT AN ACTOR SENSITIVE EVALUATION;21
3.7;7. ANALYSIS OF THE COMPUTERIZATION PROCESS OF CARESYS;21
3.7.1;7.1 The Politicians;22
3.7.1.1;7.1.1 Realized Effects;24
3.7.1.2;7.1.2 Unrealized Effects;24
3.7.1.3;7.1.3 Experienced Side Effects;24
3.7.2;7.2 The Home-Help Assistants;24
3.7.2.1;7.2.1 Realized Effects;25
3.7.2.2;7.2.2 Unrealized Effects;25
3.7.2.3;7.2.3 Side Effects;25
3.7.3;7.3 The Establishment of CareSys as Negotiation;25
3.8;8. SUMMARY;27
3.9;9. CONCLUSION;27
3.10;ACKNOWLEDGMENTS;28
3.11;REFERENCES;28
4;Chapter 2 Information and Communication Technologies Diffusion in Industrial Districts;31
4.1;INTRODUCTION 1.;32
4.2;THE INTERPRETIVE PROCESS APPROACH TO INNOVATION DIFFUSION 2.;33
4.3;THE SOCIAL PROCESS OF THE INNOVATION 3.;34
4.4;THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF THE INNOVATION 4.;37
4.5;THE CONTENT OF THE INNOVATION 5.;39
4.6;DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION 6.;42
4.7;REFERENCES;47
5;Chapter 3 Where is the Innovation?;51
5.1;1. INTRODUCTION;51
5.2;2. RESEARCH SETTING AND METHODOLOGY;53
5.2.1;2.1 Data Collection and Analysis;54
5.3;3. THE ADOPTION OF QUICKPLACE IN SUMMA;55
5.3.1;3.1 The Successful Diffusion;56
5.3.2;3.2 The Not so Successful Adoption;58
5.4;4.DISCUSSION;59
5.4.1;4.1 A Strategy for the Diffusion of Virtual Workspaces;61
5.5;5. CONCLUDING REMARKS;62
5.6;ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;63
5.7;REFERENCES;63
6;Chapter 4 Co-ordination of E-government;65
6.1;1. INTRODUCTION;65
6.2;2. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND;66
6.3;3. LOSS OF CONTROL;70
6.4;4. WHAT IS E-GOVERNMENT?;73
6.5;5. MANAGING E-GOVERNMENT;75
6.5.1;5.1 Managing Risk;75
6.5.2;5.2 Nature of Management Involvement;76
6.5.3;5.3 E- government as Infrastructure;78
6.6;6. CO-ORDINATING E-GOVERNMENT;78
6.6.1;6.1 Setting Ambitions Right;78
6.6.2;6.2 Dimensions of IT Co- ordination;80
6.6.3;6.3 Practical Mechanisms for Co- ordination;82
6.6.4;6.4 Discussion;84
6.7;7. CONCLUSIONS;86
6.8;ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;87
6.9;REFERENCES;87
7;Chapter 5 Translations in Network Configurations;91
7.1;1. INTRODUCTION;91
7.2;2. METHOD;93
7.3;3. THE CASE;94
7.4;4. THEORY;94
7.5;5. THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS;96
7.5.1;5.1 Pilot Implementation;97
7.5.2;5.2 Integrating into existing infrastructure;98
7.5.3;5.3 Management of the change process;99
7.6;6. UNFOLDING CONFIGURATIONS;100
7.6.1;6.1 The Partial Network;100
7.6.2;6.2 The Extended Network;101
7.7;7. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUDING REMARKS;102
7.8;ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS;104
7.9;REFERENCES;104
8;Chapter 6 MIS and the Dynamics of Legitimacy in Health Care;107
8.1;1. INTRODUCTION;107
8.2;2. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK;108
8.3;3. RESEARCH METHOD – COLLECTION OF DATA;111
8.4;4. THE FIELD STUDY;111
8.5;5. THE EXPLORATIVE PHASE (1987-1992);112
8.6;6. THE TIGHT SPOT PHASE (1992-1997);116
8.7;7. THE CONSOLIDATION PHASE;119
8.8;8. DISCUSSION: THE DYNAMICS OF LEGITIMACY;120
8.8.1;8.1 Ongoing Failure as an Acting Legitimate Force;120
8.8.2;8.2 The Ambiguity of Participation;122
8.9;9. CONCLUDING REMARK;123
8.10;REFERENCES;125
9;Chapter 7 Role Model for the Organisational IT Diffusion Process;127
9.1;1. INTRODUCTION;127
9.2;2. ACTION RESEARCH PROCESS IN SCANDI;128
9.2.1;2.1 First Round of Diagnosis, Action and Learning;129
9.2.2;2.2 Second Round of Diagnosis, Action and Learning;132
9.2.3;2.3 Third and Final Round;133
9.2.4;2.4 Validity of this Action Research Study;134
9.3;3. THE ROLE MODEL DESCRIBED;134
9.3.1;3.1 How the Role Model can be Used?;135
9.4;4. USING THE ROLE MODEL AND IDENTIFYING DIFFUSION RISKS;136
9.4.1;4.1 The Owner;136
9.4.1.1;4.1.1 The Risk of Not Having the Role as Owner Filled;137
9.4.1.2;4.1.2 Situation 1: User Group has Taken the Initiative;137
9.4.1.3;4.1.3 Situation 2: The Project Initiated Below;138
9.4.2;4.2 The Diffusion Project Manager;138
9.4.2.1;4.2.1 The Risk of Not Having the Role as Diffusion Project Manager Filled?;138
9.4.3;4.3 The Champion;139
9.4.3.1;4.3.1 What if the Role as Champion is not Occupied?;139
9.4.4;4.4 The Target User Group;140
9.5;5. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION;140
9.6;REFERENCES;141
10;Chapter 8 Should Buyers Try to Shape IT-markets through Non-market (Collective) Action?;143
10.1;1. INTRODUCTION;143
10.2;2. THE ESTABLISHED INTERPRETATION OF NETWORK EFFECTS;145
10.3;3. WEAKNESSES OF THE ESTABLISHED INTERPRETATION OF NETWORK EFFECTS;147
10.4;4. A TRANSACTION COST THEORETIC INTERPRETATION OF NETWORK EFFECTS;149
10.4.1;4.1 The meaning of “ new technology”;150
10.4.2;4.2 Two types of transaction costs;151
10.4.3;4.3 Degree of standardization and modularization;152
10.4.4;4.4 Outlines of the model;153
10.5;5. HOW BUYERS CAN INFLUENCE PRODUCT DECISIONS OF VENDORS;156
10.6;6. CONCLUSIONS;160
10.7;REFERENCES;162
11;Chapter 9 Exploring Application Service Provision;165
11.1;1. INTRODUCTION;165
11.2;2. THE CONCEPT OF APPLICATION SERVICE PROVISION;167
11.3;3. REASONS FOR ADOPTING OR IGNORING THE ASP CONCEPT IN SMEs;168
11.4;4. THREE ASPS AND THREE RELATED CUSTOMERS;170
11.4.1;4.1 The Horizontal ASP;171
11.4.2;4.2 The Vertical ASP;171
11.4.3;4.3 The Enterprise ASP;172
11.4.4;4.4 Manufacturing Company A;173
11.4.5;4.5 The Travel Agency;173
11.4.6;4.6 Manufacturing Company B;174
11.5;5. FINDINGS OF THE STUDY;174
11.6;6. CONCLUSIONS;176
11.7;REFERENCE;177
12;Chapter 10 A Framework for the Investigation of the Institutional Layer of IT Diffusion;179
12.1;1. INTRODUCTION;179
12.2;2. DIFFUSION OF IT INNOVATION;180
12.3;3. DIFFUSION OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE AS TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION;182
12.4;4. THE STAKEHOLDER CONCEPT;184
12.5;5. STAKEHOLDERS IN INNOVATION DIFFUSION;185
12.6;A FRAMEWORK FOR THE INVESTIGATION OF ELECTRONIC COMMERCE DIFFUSION 6.;186
12.7;7. SUMMARY- POSSIBLE APPLICATIONS OF THE PROPOSED FRAMEWORK;187
12.8;REFERENCES;188
13;Chapter 11 Taking Organizational Implementation Seriously: The Case of IOS Implementation;193
13.1;1. INTRODUCTION;193
13.2;2. WAYS OF LOOKING AT INFORMATION SYSTEMS IMPLEMENTATION;195
13.2.1;2.1 When is Implementation?;195
13.2.2;2.2 Why is Implementation Problematic?;197
13.3;3. IMPLEMENTATION OF INFORMATION SYSTEMS;199
13.3.1;3.1 Large Organizations – Learning Comes First;200
13.3.2;3.2 Small Companies;202
13.4;4. IMPLEMENTATION EXPERIENCES FROM THE CASE ORGANIZATION;204
13.5;5. CONCLUSIONS;206
13.6;REFERENCES;208
14;Chapter 12 Ten Years on: Reflections on the Past and Future of 8.6;211
14.1;PANEL MEMBERS;212
14.2;PANEL CHAIR;212
14.3;PANEL;213
15;Chapter 13 Networked Technologies – The Role of Networks in the Diffusion and Adoption of Software Process Improvement;215
15.1;1. SOFTWARE PROCESS IMPROVEMENT;216
15.1.1;1.1 Background;216
15.1.2;1.2 Adoption and Diffusion of Software Process Improvement;216
15.2;2. PANELISTS;217
15.3;3. SPI AS A NETWORKED TECHNOLOGY;218
15.3.1;3.1 The Role of Stakeholders and Networks in SPI Adoption;218
15.3.2;3.2 Network Mechanisms;221
15.4;4. ISSUES AND CHALLENGES;222
15.5;REFERENCES;222
16;Chapter 14 Open Source Software: Placebo or Panacea?;225
16.1;1. OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE: PLACEBO OR PANACEA?;225
16.1.1;1.1 Organization of Open Source Software Development;226
16.1.2;1.2 Selling and Implementing Open Source Software;227
16.1.3;1.3 Open Source from an industry perspective;227
16.1.4;1.4 Challenges to Open Source Software;227
16.1.4.1;1.4.1 Challenges from a Software Engineering Perspective;227
16.1.4.2;1.4.2 Challenges from a Business Perspective;227
16.1.4.3;1.4.3 Challenges from a Socio-Cultural Perspective;228
16.2;2. ABOUT THE PANELISTS;228
17;Chapter 15 The Diffusion and Adoption of Mobile Computing;229
17.1;INTRODUCTION;229
18;More eBooks at www.ciando.com;0

Leseproben

Chapter 5 Translations in Network Configurations (p.90-91)

7. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUDING REMARKS

Our research contributes to the literature on ICT implementation in organizational contexts. Previous research has pointed out that it is difficult to transfer technology from one context and culture to another and that there is a need for small steps and translations in such processes (Akrich, 1992). Our case study shows that this also applies to contexts that are not far apart, i.e. within the same hospital.

The case confirms the necessity for the involved actors to exercise a great amount of care to incorporate the new system into their daily work life, as argued by Ciborra (1996). However, our study points to difficulties involved in making this happen due to differences amongst stakeholder. The care expressed by the physicians, the nurses and the secretaries to incorporate the new system into their daily life appeared as a series of negotiations as the new system met work practices. Similarly, there were negotiations and translations going on between the different management levels of the hospital, the project, and the orthopaedic clinic. The sense making perspective (Henfridsson, 1999) also applies to this case, but the way in which different actors made sense of the new system varied depending on their interests, the negotiations with other stakeholders, as well as the underlying formative context of the implementation process (Ciborra & Lanzara, 1994). The case shows how routines are shaped and reshaped as the involved actors develop specific meanings of the emerging network configuration.

The considered literature (Ciborra, 1996; Henfridsson, 1999; Ciborra & Lanzara, 1994; Rogers, 1995; Orlikowski, 1996) points out the complexity and dynamics of network implementation processes. It emphasizes in particular the need for actors to be actively engaged in the transformation of current work practices. Our study confirms this with a particular emphasis on the intricacy of reactions and interactions between different stakeholders during system implementation.

The analysis of the case shows how the processes of configuring and reconfiguring a socio-technical network can be studied and understood well by focusing on the negotiations and translations between different key actors and stakeholders. This issue needs to be further elaborated in future research to provide a deeper understanding of the challenges involved in the implementation of network technologies.

Our research also contributes to improving the use of ICT within healthcare. Healthcare plays an increasingly important role in contemporary society. The gab between espoused beliefs in the benefits of using ICT and the difficulties faced in many particular situations suggests, however, that we need to know more about information and change management in this particular context. Our study suggests that managers in hospitals need to pay particular attention to the complex relationships between stakeholders when networked technologies are introduced.

Healthcare managers are advised to proactively design implementation initiatives that allow for the necessary negotiations and translations to take place. Future studies could involve action research and experiments to explore more specifically how the notions of negotiation and translation could support tactics and strategies for successful implementation of ICT based networks within healthcare.