1,721,744 research outputs found
"Doing battle": a metaphorical analysis of IT-induced cultural change
No full textOrganizations are faced with unprecedented pressure to continuously adopt new Information Technology (IT). This is evidenced by the relentless increase in internet-based systems to enhance the overall efficiency of the business. However, achieving successful IT implementation continues to be a major challenge, as witnessed by many IT initiatives failing or ending up being only partially successful. One important factor that can act as an enabler or barrier (more often the latter) to IT implementation is organizational culture i.e., values, beliefs and underlying assumptions which members form towards IT. Often the introduction of IT can induce competing subcultural differences, leading to poor IT use or resistance. One useful way of deciphering organizational culture is metaphorical analysis. More specifically, by analyzing the words and phrases of 30 in-depth interviews from across departments and levels carried out in a UK educational institution and its futile attempt to adopt a new IT-based system, revealed the use of ‘war metaphors’. The paper acknowledges that the use of metaphor (particularly metaphor as war) can offer a penetrating account of the challenges and subcultural differences at play during IT-induced cultural change
A cultural theory analysis of information systems adoption
Full text linkThis paper examines the relationship between organizational culture and Information Systems (IS) adoption. Three major perspectives - integration, differentiation and fragmentation - for understanding the effect(s) of culture on IS adoption in organizations are reviewed. Using Cultural Theory to critique these three perspectives, it is argued that each perspective in isolation offers a restricted view of how culture impacts IS adoption. Instead, when the three perspectives are considered together they offer a more penetrating account. These arguments are illustrated using an in-depth case study of a Higher Education College (HEC) in the UK and its failed attempt to adopt a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE)
Organizational culture and information systems adoption: a three-perspective approach
No full textOrganizational culture continues to be cited as an important factor in the success or failure of information systems (IS) adoption. This is evidenced by the growing trend in the number of studies that address cultural issues in IS literature over the last several decades. Regardless of the contribution of many research studies up to now, various challenges still need to be addressed: firstly, studies continue to view culture as well integrated and shared equally among organizational members; secondly, there is a tendency for studies to downplay the dynamics of culture and how this influences IS adoption over time; and thirdly, there is an increased need to analyze culture using in-depth interpretative and longitudinal methods. This paper proposes that our understanding of IS culture can be enhanced by combining theoretical approaches in which the weakness of one approach can be complemented by the strength of another. More specifically, by combining Martin's (2002) three perspectives on culture — integration, differentiation and fragmentation and grid and group cultural theory (for instance, Douglas, 1970; Thompson et al., 1990), can offer a more penetrating account of how organizational culture influences IS adoption. This argument is demonstrated using an in-depth interpretative (retrospective) case study of a further and higher education college in the UK and its unsuccessful attempt to adopt a virtual learning environment (VLE).<br/
A techno-cultural emergence perspective on the management of techno-change
No full textUsing Cultural Theory derived from Anthropology as a theoretical lens, this paper investigates the role of culture in the management of techno-change (short for technological change). More specifically, using this lens, the relative effectiveness of three approaches in the management of techno-change, namely, technological determinism, cultural determinism and techno-cultural emergence perspective, is examined. Using findings from three in-depth interpretative case studies, the central thrust is that neither technological determinism, nor cultural determinism, will be successful in the management of techno-change and that what is required is a techno-cultural emergence perspective in the enabling forms of hierarchism, individualism/market, and egalitarianism for successful management of techno-change. Managers should avoid a top-down technocratic or culture-driven approach to implementing and managing techno-change. Instead an incremental/evolutionary approach with ad-hoc improvisation made to culture and technology over time and space makes for an effective techno-change solution.<br/
Measuring and evaluating IS expectations and benefit success from B2B electronic trading: a new survey approach
No full textUnderstanding the dynamic process of emerging ICT adoption in UK service SMEs
Full text linkThis paper reports on research in progress which aims to help service SMEs benefit from the application of emerging ICT by examining the dynamic process of technology adoption using Actor Network Theory (ANT). It is argued that the adoption of emerging ICT should be examined from a dynamic process perspective. Traditional adoption theories developed by previous researchers (e.g. Ajzen and Fishbein 1980; Davis, 1989; Rogers, 1993) have contributed to technology adoption studies in the past, but they have limitations in capturing constant technology advancements and the dynamic and evolutionary nature of technology adoption. This study adopted a qualitative approach to investigate how service SMEs are engaged in emerging ICT adoption by focusing on the adoption process, the role of key actors and critical factors. A research framework was proposed based on ANT. The framework was initially tested using interviews with SME managers involved in the ICT adoption process. Eleven interviews in eight service SMEs have been carried out and data collected has been analysed using content analysis. The preliminary findings suggest that using ANT to examine the process of emerging ICT adoption in service SMEs helps to unveil the dynamic nature of ICT. The initial framework also has potential to help identify the interactions and contributions of key actors during the adoption and post adoption process
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