Effects of organizational culture on a large scale IT introduction effort: a case study of the Norwegian army's EDBLF project

This paper documents a process of introducing new information technology (IT) within the Norwegian army. The research suggests that in the intersection between an organization and IT what emerges as most interesting is the organizational culture. Some of the characteristics of the Norwegian army culture, such as using a particular transfer and application scheme and the use of refreshers training, contributed to a high job rotation, causing instability within the organization and jeopardising the day-to-day work routines within the army units. This part of the Norwegian army's culture combined with an IT system designed in a way that spliced jobs and deskilled workers, while at the same time creating dependencies between different jobs within the organization, contributed to upholding a particular functioning of the organization. Underlying this is the assumption made by the army that as long as the technology is uniform one person can easily be substituted for another. This paper argues that the organizational culture of the Norwegian army was in many ways a hindrance to a successful adoption of IT. Recognising the influence of organizational culture is important, but more empirical studies of organizational culture influence are needed to support the diverse findings presented here and would be a viable and important task in the years to come for anyone interested in a successful adoption of IT systems.     

The role of cultural fitness in user resistance to information technology tools

Human interactions with IT tools reproduce organizational cultural patterns in evolutionary terms which are similar to those seen in the evolution of human tools and language. This paper proposes that user adoption or rejection of new IT tools is derived from the cultural fitness of the tools in the organizational context rather than being close to the user's operational adaptation. The hypothesis proposed here requires an understanding of the correlation between language and tool use and an analysis of recent multi-disciplinary research in tool-mediated activity, language and cognition. Concepts of tool-mediated activity in a cultural context and their theoretical implications for HCI are examined by using the fields of anthropology, cognitive sciences and information technology. A comparative analysis of empirical data using cultural parameters is performed showing the effects of cultural fitness on the discretionary use of a new collaborative IT tool in an organizational context.     

The adoption of mobile healthcare by hospital's professionals: An integrative perspective

The adoption rate of mobile healthcare is relatively low in the hospital. In practice, a study of how healthcare professionals adopt mobile services to support their work is imperative. An integration of TAM and TPB, concerning both technological and organizational aspects, is important for understanding the adoption of mobile healthcare. However, mobile healthcare is a wireless device which is often used in a voluntary motive. Service provisions for pervasive and timely usage and individual psychological states are critical in determining its use. Accordingly, perceived service availability (PSA) and personal innovativeness in IT (PIIT) may be the important drivers to be included in TAM and TPB. This study thus proposed such a research framework from a broader and integrative perspective. The empirical examination showed high predictive power for adoption intention and the influential role of these important variables.     

Social Comparison,Goal Contagion,and Adoption of Innovative Information Technology

When adopting a new, innovative information technology (IT), most institutions tend to lack knowledge about it initially. However, they often adopt new ITs despite their illiteracy. This behavior is difficult to explain using rational IT adoption theories. Focusing on the organizational decision-making process behind adoption of innovative IT, we examine the strategy by which some companies compensate for their lack of knowledge: collection of information from other companies that have successfully adopted IT previously. We develop a new IT adoption model for which goal contagion theory and social comparison theory are combined to interpret the circumstances under which organizations tend to adopt new, innovative IT despite limited knowledge about it. Big data, cloud services, and smart mobile systems are considered as examples of innovative IT in the empirical study.     

Understanding the successful adoption and use of IS/IT in SMEs: an explanation from Portuguese manufacturing industries

Abstract. The objectives of the research were to identify factors enabling or inhibiting the adoption and use of information systems and technology (IS/IT) in Portuguese manufacturing small and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) and understand how these factors interrelate in determining relative success in the adoption and use of IS/IT. This research elicited factors from previous quantitative and qualitative research, which had been shown to influence IS/IT adoption in SMEs in other contexts. A strategic change framework was used to structure the factors and ensure that comprehensive evidence about their nature and effects could be obtained in the empirical research. Further factors were identified by initial fieldwork, before carrying out 12 in‐depth case studies, across a range of situations – different industries, different levels of adoption and a range of degrees of success in IS/IT use. The pattern that emerged from the analysis of the data shows that certain factor combinations and relationships appear to determine the relative degrees of IS/IT success across the firms. This pattern can also be explained by interpreting the roles and relationships of the key actors involved in the process of IS/IT adoption and use. Top management perspectives and attitudes towards IS/IT adoption and use play an important role in the development of internal IS/IT competencies and provide an important contribution to the development of a context that enables IS/IT success.     

A meta-analysis of relationships between organizational characteristics and IT innovation adoption in organizations

Adoption of IT in organizations is influenced by a wide range of factors in technology, organization, environment, and individuals. Researchers have identified several factors that either facilitate or hinder innovation adoption. Studies have produced inconsistent and contradictory outcomes. We performed a meta-analysis of ten organizational factors to determine their relative impact and strength. We aggregated their findings to determine the magnitude and direction of the relationship between organizational factors and IT innovation adoption. We found organizational readiness to be the most significant attribute and also found a moderately significant relationship between IT adoption and IS department size. Our study found weak significance of IS infrastructure, top management support, IT expertise, resources, and organizational size on IT adoption of technology while formalization, centralization, and product champion were found to be insignificant attributes. We also examined stage of innovation, type of innovation, type of organization, and size of organization as moderator conditions affecting the relationship between the organizational variables and IT adoption.     

A strategic path to study IT use through users’ IT culture and IT needs: A mixed-method grounded theory

We consider recent research in IS, as well as recent advances in the fields of psychology and sociology. As an alternative to existing models, we propose a new strategic path to study IT use through users’ IT culture and IT needs. Our contributions are (1) theoretical: we investigate the predictive value for IT usage of several new constructs and show that both expectancy-based and needs-based theories of motivation should be taken into account in acceptance models, (2) methodological: we adopt an exploratory, mixed-method, grounded theory approach and use both quantitative and qualitative data and methods, an unusual approach in IS research that allows new perspectives, and (3) practical: our results highlight the fact that highly IT-acculturated users may hinder (rather than facilitate) new-IT acceptance if their situational IT needs are ignored. Therefore, when the strategic decision of implementing new IT is made, managerial attention must be focused on these users in order to drive toward the alignment of their IT needs and managerially-perceived organizational IT needs.Our work opens the way to numerous avenues for future research.     

Information technology (IT) in Saudi Arabia: Culture and the acceptance and use of IT

The unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (UTAUT), a model of the user acceptance of IT, synthesizes elements from several prevailing user acceptance models. It has been credited with explaining a larger proportion of the variance of ‘intention to use’ and ‘usage behavior’ than do preceding models. However, it has not been validated in non-Western cultures. Using a survey sample collected from 722 knowledge workers using desktop computer applications on a voluntary basis in Saudi Arabia, we examined the relative power of a modified version of UTAUT in determining ‘intention to use’ and ‘usage behavior’. We found that the model explained 39.1% of intention to use variance, and 42.1% of usage variance. In addition, drawing on the theory of cultural dimensions, we hypothesized and tested the similarities and differences between the North American and Saudi validations of UTAUT in terms of cultural differences that affected the organizational acceptance of IT in the two societies.     

The consequences of information technology acceptance on subsequent individual performance

As more information technology (IT) is deployed in organizations, it is important to understand its impact on individual performance and organizational productivity. Most past research has concentrated on identifying determinants of computer acceptance. This may be inadequate in determining the value and return on investment due to IT. Organizations are able to deploy IT more effectively if the consequences of its acceptance are obviously valuable. This study seeks to investigate the implications and consequences of IT acceptance by examining the relationships between IT acceptance and its impact on the individual user. The research model involves three components: user satisfaction, system usage, and individual impact. It is hypothesized that user satisfaction and system usage affect individual impact and that usage partially mediates the effect of satisfaction on individual impact.A comprehensive questionnaire on computer acceptance was used to collect data from 625 employees of a large organization in Singapore. The results suggest that user satisfaction is an important factor affecting system usage and that user satisfaction has the strongest direct effect on individual impact. The results also demonstrate the importance of system usage in mediating the relationship of user satisfaction on individual impact.     

Toward a deeper understanding of IT adoption: A multilevel analysis

This study adopts a multilevel perspective and uses cross-level modeling to explore how resistance to change (RTC) influences information technology (IT) adoption behaviors. RTC is conceptualized at two levels of analysis (personal and contextual) and with two levels of specificity (distal and proximal). Data were collected from 258 employees within 25 administrative work units undergoing a new IT initiative. The findings from this study reveal a “maverick effect” wherein pro-initiative employees react in contrast to their workplace contexts. They champion IT adoption when their work units resist the IT initiative and prolong IT adoption when their work units readily embrace the IT initiative. This study introduces a novel interactionist perspective on IT adoption that considers employee dispositions and perceptions, as well as workplace climate and culture, as enablers and inhibitors of IT adoption. Moreover, the study advocates for change management practices that account for multilevel interactions among the personal and contextual influences of IT adoption.     

Relating IT strategy and organizational culture: an empirical study of public sector units in India

This paper analyzes the relationships between selected aspects of organizational culture and IT-Strategy in public sector units (PSUs). Organization culture, which is treated as a shared set of norms and values, is analyzed with respect to IT-Strategies. Organizational culture is assessed in terms of innovative, supportive and bureaucratic cultures. IT strategy is viewed as comprising six generic strategies, namely, centrally planned, leading edge, scarce resource, necessary evil, monopoly and free market. The data on which conclusions were drawn arises from a nation-wide survey covering 72 public sector organizations in India. In addition to the survey research, we conducted an in-depth case study of State Bank of India. This yearlong study commenced in 1996. Statistically significant findings show that it is the innovative element of a PSUs organizational culture that is associated with a delineable IT strategy. Leading edge, free market, and monopoly IT-strategies are found to be related to innovative components of organizational culture. Monopoly and scarce resource strategies are associated with supportive and bureaucratic cultures, respectively. Our case study validates some of these findings in a large bank. Implications for practice as well as research are provided.     

Will cloud computing make the Information Technology (IT) department obsolete?

The rapid adoption and growth of cloud computing is creating unprecedented change in the manner in which IT services are procured, managed, and deployed. Cloud computing is forcing firms to rethink traditional IT governance practices while raising new and fundamental questions for scholars and practitioners. This paper identifies the major areas of change and highlights governance issues that arise with the adoption of cloud computing. The focus of this paper is on the organizational impact on IT governance under cloud computing. The paper posits (1) that successful IT departments under cloud computing will transform into new roles that address internal customer‐facing issues and external cloud‐facing issues, (2) firms that mitigate information asymmetry under cloud computing will show higher firm performance, and (3) firms that offer superior cloud‐sourced IT service attributes of internal prices, quality, variety, and competition in the cloud will show higher firm performance.     

IT non-conformity in institutional environments: E-marketplace adoption in the government sector

Institutional authority is a factor that impacts adoption of IT. Institutional theory incorporates three different but complimentary perspectives and we used these to develop a layered analysis of IT adoption in organizations. We used a case study of State Government agencies in Australia to show how layers of authority influenced the adoption or rejection of technology and that such forces varied in their influence over time. Based on this, we proposed the notion of patterns of conformity and non-conformity which recognise the changes in levels of compliance over time as organizational forces arise. In particular, the alignment of layers of authority acts to ensure conformity with or rejection of IT adoption decisions.     

Measuring value dimensions of IT occupational culture: an exploratory analysis

Culture in information systems (IS) research has been an important area of study for over twenty-five years but has focused on two levels of analysis: national and organizational. However, research at the level of IT occupational culture has been minimal. Shared values are the core element of any cultural group and the IS literature has repeatedly called for measurable dimensions of IT culture. This study is an exploratory positivist investigation into scale creation and proposes a set of six value dimensions specific to the context of IT occupational culture based on a review of the relevant IS literature culture as well as interviews with IT professionals. These six dimensions are: Structure of Power, Control, Open Communication, Risk, Reverence for Knowledge, and Enjoyment (abbreviated as SCORRE). A preliminary instrument was prepared and tested with an empirical study. The instrument was found to have both high reliability and construct validity and is ready for further use in ongoing research. There was further evidence that SCORRE represents many core values that form the foundation of IT occupational culture.     

What is the Right R&D Strategy for Overcoming the Difficulties of the South Korean IT Industry?

This study proposes new strategies for the information technology (IT) industry in South Korea, provides objectives for the South Korean IT industry and articulates the roles of the Korean government agencies, companies and users. Specifically, it covers South Korean IT strategies employed during several periods, including a stagnant period and a more recent period reflecting new successful IT environments of developed countries. South Korean IT companies should recognize the importance of user interface and user experience technologies as a next key global IT industry trend. Raising this awareness is critical in increasing the global competitiveness of the Korean IT industry. Furthermore, South Korean government agencies should take more active role in constructing and improving interactive environments that would benefit both companies and users. For future research, it is imperative to investigate the specific roles of companies, users and government agencies with respect to IT usage.     

Factors affecting the organizational adoption of service-oriented architecture (SOA)

Service-oriented architecture (SOA) takes an architectural approach to designing and implementing IT solutions. Although it is fast emerging as one of the major architectural styles to execute enterprise architecture management, academic empirical research on SOA adoption is scarce, with most studies focusing on qualitative analysis. This study investigates organizational SOA adoption in South Africa and combines the perspectives of the diffusion of innovations theory and the technology-organization-environment framework into one comprehensive model of SOA adoption. In order to validate the research instrument and to gauge the state of SOA adoption, an online survey was conducted among enterprise architects in South African organizations. The survey provides insights in the perceived risks, obstacles but also expected benefits of SOA adoption. The results also highlight a number of factors significantly influencing SOA adoption in South Africa. Use of multiple standards and platforms, compatibility, top management support, good governance and strategy, adequate human and financial resources, vendor support for integration and development tools are all significant factors for a fruitful SOA implementation. Finally, all of the above adoption factors as well as cost and complexity were also found to correlate significantly with the degree of success of the SOA implementation as perceived by the IT or EA department.     

Designing an evaluation framework for IT service management

Applying IT Service Management (ITSM) is a key issue in the management of an organisation's IT function. The IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) is the most popular and influential framework for applying ITSM. With adoption growing globally it is important to understand the benefits that ITIL processes can bring to an organisation. To date the benefits of implementing and using ITIL processes have been predicted or assumed with very little research and minimal anecdotal evidence. We present a design of a holistic evaluation framework for ITSM improvement efforts with particular focus on ITIL.     

Organizational size and IT innovation adoption: A meta-analysis

Organizational size has long been considered to be an important predictor of IT innovation adoption. However, empirical results on the relationship between them have been disturbingly mixed and inconsistent. Through a meta-analysis of 54 correlations derived from 21 empirical studies, we attempted to explain and resolve these mixed results by synthesizing across studies the effects of organizational size on IT innovation adoption and by examining the effects of six moderators on the relationship. The results suggested that, although a positive relationship generally existed between them, the relationship was moderated by five variables: type of IT innovation, type of organization, stage of adoption, scope of size, and type of size measure. This suggested that the mixed empirical results from previous studies can be explained by a lack of consideration of moderators.     

An empirical test of three mediation models for the relationship between personal innovativeness and user acceptance of technology

Understanding the drivers of technology adoption remains an important organizational problem. Our research focused on a personality trait that is relevant to the adoption of technological innovation: personal innovativeness in IT (PIIT). We examined the causal pathways by which this trait affects behavioral intention by testing three alternative models based on innovation diffusion theory, the theory of planned behavior, and an integrative perspective that combines them. Data were collected from 196 hospital administrators in South Korea. The target innovation was an e-commerce purchasing system. Testing across all three models resulted in complete mediation, indicating that PIIT is a strong predictor of intended use of IT but it exerts its influence by altering the mediators. Our integrative perspective provides a more complete account of the causal mechanisms underlying the relationships as well as unique insights that cannot be obtained with a single theory driven model.     

Board Level IT Governance: A Scoping Review to Set the Research Agenda

ABSTRACT

Digital transformation is becoming pervasive, resulting in the intertwine of organizational strategy with IT strategy and increasing importance of IT risk. This falls into the domain of the board of directors, who are ultimately accountable for strategy and control. Yet, research shows that the involvement of boards in governing digital assets is low. In order to address this topic, this paper summarizes the state-of-the-art of this research domain and identifies an agenda for future research.