Facilitating Technology Transfer through Partnership: Learning from practice and research PDF
Preview Facilitating Technology Transfer through Partnership: Learning from practice and research
Facilitating Technology Transfer through Partnership Visit the IT & Applied Computing resource centre www.IT-CH.com IFIP - The International Federation for Information Processing IFIP was founded in 1960 under the auspices of UNESCO, following the First World Computer Congress held in Paris the previous year. An umbrella organization for societies working in information processing, IFIP's aim is two-fold: to support information processing within its member countries and to encourage technology transfer to developing nations. As its mission statement clearly states, IFIP's mission is to be the leading, truly international, apolitical organization which encourages and assists in the development, exploitation and application of information technology for the benefit of all people. IFIP is a non-profitmaking organization, run almost solely by 2500 volunteers. It operates through a number of technical committees, which organize events and publications. IFIP's events range from an international congress to local seminars, but the most important are: • the IFIP World Computer Congress, held every second year; • open conferences; • working conferences. The flagship event is the IFIP World Computer Congress, at which both invited and contributed papers are presented. Contributed papers are rigorously refereed and the rejection rate is high. As with the Congress, participation in the open conferences is open to all and papers may be invited or submitted. Again, submitted papers are stringently refereed. The working conferences are structured differently. They are usually run by a working group and attendance is small and by invitation only. Their purpose is to create an atmosphere conducive to innovation and development. Refereeing is less rigorous and papers are subjected to extensive group discussion. Publications arising from IFIP events vary. The papers presented at the IFIP World Computer Congress and at open conferences are published as conference proceedings, while the results of the working conferences are often published as collections of selected and edited papers. Any national society whose primary activity is in information may apply to become a full member of IFIP, although full membership is restricted to one society per country. Full members are entitled to vote at the annual General Assembly, National societies preferring a less committed involvement may apply for associate or corresponding membership. Associate members enjoy the same benefits as full members, but without voting rights. Corresponding members are not represented in IFIP bodies. Affiliated membership is open to non-national societies, and individual and honorary membership schemes are also offered. Facilitating Technology Transfer through Partnership Learning from practice and research IFIP TC8 WG8.6 International Working Conference on Diffusion, Adoption and Implementation of Information Technology 25th-27th June 1997, Ambleside, Cumbria, UK Edited by Tom McMaster Information Systems Research Centre University of Salford UK Enid Mumford Manchester Business School University of Manchester UK E. Burton Swanson Anderson Graduate School of Management University of California Los Angeles, USA Brian Warboys Department of Computer Science University of Manchester UK and David Wastell Department of Computer Science University of Manchester UK IU!ll SPRINGER INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING, CHAM First edition 1997 © 1997 IFIP International Federation for Information Processing Originally published by Chapman & Hall in 1997 Softcover reprint of the hardcover I st edition 1997 ISBN 978-1-5041-2956-5 ISBN 978-0-387-35092-9 (eBook) DOI 10.1007/978-0-387-35092-9 Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the UK Copyright Designs and Patents Act, 1988, this publication may not be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case ofreprographic reproduction only in accordance with the tenns of the licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency in the UK, or in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the appropriate Reproduction Rights Organization outside the UK. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside the terms stated here should be sent to the publishers at the London address printed on this page. The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept any legal responsibility or liability for any errors or omissions that may be made. A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library @J Printed on permanent acid-free text paper, manufactured in accordance with ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 and ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1984 (Permanence of Paper). CONTENTS Foreword vii Preface xiii Invited Paper 1 Information technology implementation: the case of the world's first business computer: the initiation phase F.F. wnd 3 PART ONE Exploring Theoretical Perspectives 21 1 IT diffusion and innovation models: the conceptual domains R. Baskerville and J. Pries-Heje 23 2 Hong Kong's EDI bandwagon: derailed or on the right track? J. Damsgaard and K. Lyytinen 39 3 Technology transfer-diffusion or translation? T. McMaster; R. T. Vidgen and D. G. Waste II 64 4 Mediating change: translation, and mediation in the context of bricolage M. Buscher and P.H. Mogensen 76 5 Networks and partnerships in the evolution of home banking D. Knights and F. Noble 92 PART TWO Examining Organizational Alternatives 109 6 A modified framework for the evaluation of technological choice C. Brooke 111 7 How before what: an exploration of the process of developing competencies for managing a "central selection, local ownership" diffusion policy to support organisational transformation C. Sauer; G. Southon and C.N.G. Dampney 129 8 The selective adoption of information systems: assessing practicality, trustworthiness and fairness J. Allen 145 PART THREE Rethinking Common Barriers 161 9 An ecology of resistance L. Levine 163 10 IT sensemaking and internal partnering: field notes on barriers N.C. Ramiller and E. B. Swanson 175 vi Contents II Effects of resource constraints on information technology implementation in small business J.Y.L. Thong and C.S. Yap 191 PART FOUR Assessing Government Initiatives 207 12 Connectivity and community: improving linkages in a technology park LJ. Bannon and P. Byrne 209 13 A critical analysis of two technology transfer projects A. Walker, S. Ball, A. Moretti, A. Popescu and M. Spink 223 14 National IT initiatives and development-the Malaysian experience M. Kamsah, S. Mokhtar and A. T. Wood-Harper 239 PART FIVE Facilitating Software Processes 255 15 A guide to manage new software engineering tools L Mathiassen and C. S¢rensen 257 16 CASE: successful implementation and use R. W. Smyth 273 17 The dissemination of software process improvement innovations: the ESPITI project revisited K. Kautz and E.A. Larsen 289 18 Experience using a benchmarking workshop to explore one route to practical technology introduction P. Fowler and M. Patrick 304 19 The SEI' s capability maturity model: a critical survey of adoption experiences in a cross-section of typical UK companies J.P. Kolind and D.G. Wastell 319 PART SIX Innovating with Internet and Web Technologies 335 20 Diffusion of the internet: a local perspective on an international issue C. Charlton, C. Gittings, P. Leng, J. Little and I. Neilson 337 21 Stages and diversity in the implementation of World Wide Web and document technology K. Braa and P. S¢rgaard 355 Workshops/Panels 371 Index of contributors 381 Keyword index 382 Foreword Enid Mumford Emeritus Professor University ofM anchester I had the honour to be the General Chair of this excellent conference and it gives me great pleasure to write a foreword to this important book. I should like to reinforce a point made by many of the contributors. This is that the successful diffusion of new technology requires the diffusion of a great many other things. These include values, ethics, good human relations, effective organizational design and people-friendly technology. Gurus are popular these days and so, rather than reproducing my own boring ideas, I decided to see what one of my favourite female gurus could tell us. This is Mary Parker Follett, an American who studied at Cambridge in 1890, had a great influence on American management, lived in England at the end of her life and gave many lectures at the London School of Economics. Through her I can make the point that some things don't change. The ideas she had in the early part of this century are perhaps even more important today when technology is taking us into a strange, unpredictable world. The chocolate magnate B. S. Rowntree wrote of her in 1940, "The principles which she outlined are fundamental to all human progress. They should be widely known and acted upon, particularly at the present time, when good organisation is of supreme importance to national survival. They will be found more necessary when the war is over and humanity is faced with the almost superhuman task of fashioning a new and better world." Mary Parker Follett had many highly innovative ideas and theories about freedom in the work situation. Her definition of freedom is, "freedom for the individual and the group, with the one supporting and enhancing the other. This kind of freedom comes from knowledge, discussion and integration. It requires continuous and close communication, a recognition viii Foreword of common interests and a willingness to participate in solving problems. All conflicts can be solved given an understanding of their nature and a desire for a solution. Goodwill and good relations are the route to freedom for all." She believed that freedom required order. But order must be integral to the situation and must be recognised as such. Even though different groups with different interests would have different views, all should agree on the nature of the problems that had to be solved. This included all those who gave orders and those who received them. In her view freedom comes from efforts to achieve consensus and partnership. This is the freedom of the individual and the group, not the individual alone. Mary Parker Follett took a holistic view of business and business organisations. She believed in integration. She tells us, "The first test of good business organisation is whether you have a business with all its parts so co-ordinated, so moving together in their closely knit and adjusted activities, so linking, interlocking, interrelating, that they make a working unit." This reminds us that technology is only one piece in a very complex puzzle. She continues, "Successful integration leads to freedom because it encourages face-to face communication and self assertion. It is not remote and bureaucratic. It takes account of the fact that situations are always evolving and that discussions and decisions must be circular, not linear." Mary Parker recognised that freedom is often associated with power. The more power an individual has the more he or she is likely to be free from constraints. She believed that what was required was not 'power over' but 'power with' or joint power. She says, ·'One of the tests of a conference or committee should be: are we developing joint power or is someone trying unduly to influence the others? . . . Individual freedom can lead to coercive exploitation. We want group freedom. Circular behaviour is the basis of integration. You influence another while they influence you . . .No person has power over another." Foreword ix When differences of opinion arise she suggested that there are three ways of dealing with these - domination, compromise and integration. With domination only one side got what it wanted. With compromise neither side got what it wanted. But through integration it is possible to find a way in which both sides get what they want. She pointed out that many think they are losing freedom and independence through joining with others, but this is a false perception of freedom. Managers do not give up their freedom when they give their workers a share in management. On the contrary they are freeing themselves from strikes, sabotage and indifference. Employers are not free when these occur. Mary Parker Follett saw freedom in work as problem solving and decision taking in which all played a part. To achieve this she suggested four fimdamental principles of organisation. These were: • Co-ordination by direct contact. All employees must be in direct contact regardless of their position in the organisation. Horizontal communication is as important as vertical chains of command in achieving co-ordination. • Co-ordination in the early stages. Employees should be involved in policy or decisions while these are being formed and not simply brought in afterwards. In this way the benefits of participation will be obtained in increased motivation and morale. • Co-ordination as the 'reciprocal relating' of all factors in a situation. All factors should be related to one another, and these interrelationships must themselves be taken into account. • Co-ordinating is a continuous process. 'An executive decision is a moment in a process'. So many people contribute to the making of a decision that the concept of fmal or ultimate responsibility is an illusion. Combined knowledge and joint responsibility take its place. Authority and responsibility should derive from the actual function to be performed, not from place in the hierarchy. Mary Parker Follett accepted the traditional concepts of power, authority and leadership but redefined these as 'power with', 'joint responsibility' and 'multiple leadership'. She did, however, recognise that achieving this kind of freedom would not be easy. Problems that would have to be solved included facilitating communication between all interested groups. Planning whether local or national has to be flexible enough to encourage initiative and experiment. Collective control and decentralised responsibility has to be made compatible. There is no place for regulation or coercion, every thing should emerge from discussion and agreement.
The list of books you might like
