J. D. Eveland

Evolving electronic communication networks: an empirical assessment

Understanding electronic communication and the patterns that characterize its development are critical to realizing full benefits from computersupported work (Hiltz and Turoff, 1978; Olsen and Lucas, 1982; Kiesler, Siegel and McGuire, 1984). Cooperative work depends on effective communication and on the ability of organizations to manage the technology of communication appropriately (Rogers and Agarwala-Rogers, 1976; Farace, Monge and Russell, 1977). Organizations that do not understand the political and social dimensions of their communications systems will inevitably fail to achieve their purposes (Hawes, 1974; Benson, 1975).

Groupware implementation: reinvention in the sociotechnical frame

ciotechnical systems theory suggests several themes about implementation, including continuous mutual adaptation of tool and context, task emphasis, the priority of process, and changes in evaluative criteria over time. The effectiveness of these ideas is illustrated in the experience of the World Bank in its implementation of a group decision support system, GroupSystems.

Diffusion, Technology Transfer, and Implementation Thinking and Talking About Change

Diffusion and technology transfer must be understood as essentially phenomenological issues. Technology is information, and exists only to the degree that people can put it into practice and use it to achieve values. This article outlines a series of issues that complicate this perspective: defining the content of technology, coping with the embedding of technology in organizational contexts, assessing the effects of politics and culture on technology use, dealing with dynamics of implementation, and assessing effects. It is suggested that organizations need to emphasize creative processes for coping with change, and that research on technology transfer should stress context over content and process over prescription.

Issues in using the concept of “adoption of innovations”

ConclusionsGiven the theoretical and methodological difficulties with using the concept of adoption which have been outlined here, what can we do? At the very least, our observations should suggest that a healthy degree of scepticism should greet any statements about “adoption of innovations”. Whenever we encounter findings which refer to “adoption”

Sociotechnical reinvention: Implementation dynamics and collaboration tools

Abstract Sociotechnical systems theory suggests several themes about implementation, including continuous mutual adaptation of tool and context, task emphasis, the priority of process, and changes in evaluative criteria over time. The effectiveness of these ideas is illustrated in the experience of the World Bank in its implementation of a group decision support system, GroupSystems.