Unsuccessful IT Implementations can often be traced to organizational issues. Some of these problems originate from failures of the working relationship between the in-house IS department and other areas of the business. Before interventions can be designed to address these issues, the nature of this relationship needs to be fully elaborated. Accordingly, the aim of this research was to develop a clearer understanding of roles played by the business areas and the in-house IS department, within the development, delivery and operation of IT services. Anecdotal and academic evidence concerning the causes of relationship difficulties and their possible solutions was gathered, to enable the objectives of the study to be determined on the basis of the topics emerging from both practical and theoretical knowledge. After the research foundations had been established, grounded theory was chosen as the most appropriate methodology for the study. Data acquired from U.K. Insurance companies was analysed for abstract concepts that composed the phenomenon and constructs developed to create a theoretical framework. This shows how the relationship between the IS department and other parts of the business is constituted from the mutual trust, credibility and interdependence of the work groups that are parties to the relationship. The framework also shows the way organizational climate, attitudes of individuals, processes and outcomes affect the formation of the three relationship bonds. The validity of the research was critically evaluated against published quality criteria for grounded theory studies and limitations to the framework were identified. The plausibility of the research was tested by comparison of the framework with the existing research literature about customer-provider relationships. The study concludes with proposals for further research work, including the operationalisation of the theoretical framework and the creation of a strategy to guide the development of the relationships in question. Two contributions to knowledge are claimed for the thesis: It is a new, holistic, view of the instrumental linkages between an internal service provider organization and its customers. Interpretive methods have been under-utilised in the field of IS/IT research. This study provides an experientially based model for employing grounded theory to explore the organizational context of IT services management.

In Vietnam, together with the renovation program known as Doi moi, promulgation of resolution 49/CP in 1993 and subsequently of directive 58 CT/TW in 2000 provided the incentive and resolve to use Information Technology (IT) as a driver of economic development and social advancement. Thus, IT was designated a national strategic priority. However, despite the Government�s efforts to implement IT, uptake and use of IT in organisations have been embryonic. Existing studies implied IT implementation in Vietnamese organisations to have been influenced in part by organisational culture factors traceable to the national culture. In light of these findings, the present study focuses on the relationships between organisational culture and IT implementation in Vietnamese organisations. Nine objectives were set for the study. The related research questions were focused on identifying the most common features of organisational culture in Vietnam, how respondents� and organisational characteristics were associated with organisational culture, the general level of IT implementation success in organisations, how respondents� and organisational characteristics were associated with IT implementation, and the nature of the relationship between a Vietnamese organisation�s culture and effectiveness of its IT implementation. In pursuing quantitative research methodology, a questionnaire was developed and subjected to a focus group scrutiny at the preliminary stage and then again prior to implementation to confirm the questionnaire�s suitability and applicability. Data, from 328 returned questionnaires, and the findings of the subsequent analyses were validated via semi-structured interviews and a panel of experts. To address the research questions, the data were subjected to a battery of statistical analysis tools, including descriptive, correlation, association, analyses of variance and factor analysis. The findings were then interpreted and the panel of experts used to confirm and better understand the findings and to offer extra insights. The majority of the organisations surveyed were characterised by the 'Elephant' organisational culture (OC) style that had elements of order, uniformity, rules and regulations and emphasis on stability. Most of these organisations were state-owned enterprises located in northern Vietnam. In number, these were followed by the �Tiger� OC organisations, comprising mainly private and foreign-owned organisations, especially those located in Ho Chi Minh City. These �Tiger� organisations stressed their operational efficiency, and externally positioned themselves toward winning competitive advantage and achieving market superiority. �Rabbit� characteristics, such as flexibility, creativity and innovation did not surface often within Vietnamese organisations. Most organisations surveyed claimed to enjoy a rather high level of IT implementation benefits, especially those relating to internal-focused aspects such as �Faster response time�, �Better communication & networking�, and �Higher quality of performance�. Finance related benefits of IT implementation were at the lowest level. Private and foreign-owned organisations had the highest level of both IT investment payoff and IT implementation benefits while state-owned organisations had the lowest on both measures. State-owned organisations also reported the most problems with IT implementation the most frequently, while foreign-owned organisations least often faced such problems. Exploration of the association between OC and IT implementation showed that 'Elephants� were significantly associated with lower levels of successful IT implementation, while �Tiger� organisations followed by �Rabbit� were significantly associated with higher levels of success. �Production-oriented� organisations indicated higher levels of IT investment payoff than �People-oriented� ones. Organisations with �entrepreneurial� characterisation were found to have high levels of IT implementation success. In light of the findings and their implications, recommendations were made for government, industry, business and research organisations. The recommendations are designed to foster improved uptake and use of IT in Vietnamese organisations through the process of 'Organisational Doi moi' (organisational renewal) as well as to enlarge the research base on socio-cultural aspects of IT to buttress such efforts.

Health care organisations in Finland, Norway, Scotland and Sweden face similar challenges when it comes to providing health services in the sparsely populated rural areas. Vast distances, centralized health services, harsh climate and limited access to public transport can make accessing health services difficult. In order to provide health services for the population of the Northern Periphery it is necessary to develop health care service models which can address the problems of isolation, remoteness and centralized health services. One way of overcoming these issues is to develop eHealth services that focus on increasing access to health services in the rural areas. As health care organisations’ resources are often limited, the possibilities to develop, test and implement eHealth services can be restricted. Thus, transferring existing eHealth services across organisational and national boundaries can be beneficial, as the services have already been tested in practice. Taking advantage of the knowledge health care organisations in different countries have can support organisations in their drive to develop service provision models that reach out to the population of the Northern Periphery. The main objective of this thesis is to understand how local conditions influence the outcomes of eHealth transfer. In order to do so the transnational implementation of five eHealth services was investigated in five case studies. This research gives insight into how differences in organisational structure, ICT infrastructure and the size of the patient base impact health care organisations’ possibility to transfer and utilize existing eHealth services. In addition, this research offers rich insights into how these factors impact the sustainability of eHealth services. The case studies also illustrate how stakeholder collaboration and knowledge exchange impact the process of transferring eHealth services, and how patients’ and professionals’ level of trust in eHealth services can materialize in practice. In addition, this thesis demonstrates why the benefits obtained with a specific eHealth service may, or may not be duplicable in another organisational context. The research discussed in this thesis also contributes to the understanding of how assessing organisational readiness prior to transferring and eHealth services can facilitate the implementation process.

Les conflits et les comportements de résistance des utilisateurs représentent une des difficultés managériales majeures lors de l’implémentation des Systèmes d’Information (SI). Bien que de nombreuses études de SI abordent la résistance et les conflits des utilisateurs en anticipant, en minimisant, ou même en amplifiant ces comportements négatifs, peu de recherches ont pris en compte les mécanismes de contagion des conflits et ont examiné pourquoi et comment les utilisateurs résistent de manière comparable à des projets de Technologie de l'Information (TI) entièrement différents. La littérature en SI semble limitée quant à l'impact des comportements de résistance survenus dans le passé sur le nouveau projet TI. Or, les gestionnaires doivent être en mesure d’anticiper les causes potentielles de l'échec du projet en raison des comportements de résistance en cours, mais aussi à cause des résistances apparues dans le passé et qui perdurent ou sont susceptibles de réapparaître. Pour les chercheurs et praticiens en SI, cette recherche met en lumière les liens entre des problèmes liés aux conflits actuels et antérieurs survenus dans le portefeuille de projets TI d'une entreprise. Pour cela, nous mobilisons, en particulier, les théories de la contagion et de l’inoculation qui n’ont été à ce jour que faiblement utilisées dans le domaine des systèmes d’information. La partie empirique consiste en un projet de recherche-action de trois ans réalisé chez Efficient Innovation Corporation (une société française de conseil en management de l’innovation). Tout d'abord, mes observations révèlent que les employés qui expriment des conflits axés sur les tâches vers un projet de déploiement TI sont susceptibles d'utiliser une stratégie de contournement dissimulant des conflits sociopolitiques. Deuxièmement, nous avons pu identifier un phénomène de contagion de conflits entre deux projets TI malgré leurs fortes différences en termes d’objectifs, de périmètres fonctionnels et d’utilisateurs. Troisièmement, les techniques « d’inoculation » que nous avons pu mettre en œuvre ont permis d’enrailler voire de limiter la diffusion de comportements de résistance envers les TI. Le message sous-jacent de cette thèse est de considérer les comportements de résistance antérieurs et la contagion des conflits comme des processus clés intégrés à l’implémentation des TI. A cet effet, nous introduisons le concept de “Resistance Path Dependency”, puis nous proposons un modèle conceptuel du mécanisme de contagion possible des conflits entre différentes équipes et projets TI. / User conflicts and resistance behaviours represent one of the major managerial difficulties during Information Systems (IS) implementation. Although numerous IS studies tackle user resistance and conflicts by anticipating, minimising or even amplifying these negative behaviours, little research has taken into consideration the contagion mechanisms of conflicts and examined why and how users similarly resist to entirely different Information Technology (IT) projects. The IS literature is sparse on addressing the impact of resistance behaviours that occurred in the past on the new IT. IS managers need to anticipate potential causes for project failure because of ongoing resistance behaviours toward the new IT, but also because of resistance behaviours occurred in the past and persist until today, or are likely to reappear. For IS researchers and practitioners, my research gives greater attention to issues related to current and prior conflicts occurring in a firm’s IT project portfolio. Therefore, we particularly mobilise the theories of contagion and Inoculation which have been so far weakly used in the field of information systems. The empirical part consists of a three-year action research project conducted at Efficient Innovation Corporation (a French management consulting firm). Firstly, my observations reveal that employees expressing task-oriented conflicts towards an IT deployment project were likely to use a bypassing strategy, hiding socio-political conflicts. Secondly, we were able to identify a phenomenon of conflict contagion between two IT projects despite their strong differences in terms of objectives, functional perimeters and users. Thirdly, the "Inoculation" techniques that we implemented succeeded to stall and limit the diffusion of resistance behaviours toward IT. The underlying message of this thesis is to consider prior resistance behaviours and conflict contagion as key processes integrated into IT implementation. Accordingly, we introduce the concept of "Resistance Path Dependency", and propose a conceptual model of possible conflict contagion mechanisms between different teams and IT projects.

Introduction. The implementation of CRM systems for small companies have not been widely explored by previous literatures, giving me the opportunity to research the system implementation process of Company X. The purpose of this research is to understand how to process implementation of a CRM system within the frame of a small company. Theoretical Framework. The theoretical framework encompasses the concepts of CRM and previous theories on implementation processes: one focusing on business implementation of CRM (Chalmeta, 2006), and another focusing on the IS implementation of CRM (Cooper and Zmud, 1990). The literature represents a ground to understand the implementation process of Company X. Methodology. The paper is an action research, a relevant research design to the implementation process of Company X in real-world settings. The sampling is 1. project documents from the CRM projects implementation, implicating technical records from Company X, and 2. an interview with a key actor of Company X implementation process. Empirical findings. The results showcased different themes and subthemes that arose in the system implementation process of Company X which are correlated in the analysis to previous theories. Analysis. The analysis of this action research explores the question of Company X's implementation stages. Because CRM is a multidisciplinary subject, grouping technology, people and processes creates a systematic perspective over Company X’s results with 2 theories: one emphasizing a business implementation perspective (Chalmeta, 2006), and one information system implementation perspective (Cooper and Zmud, 1990). Conclusion. The implementation process was executed, having a large scope grouping 3 themes: problem discussion, implementation, and management of change (Chalmeta, 2006). These 3 themes revealed implementation stages such as initiation, adoption, adaptation, acceptance, routinization, and infusion (Cooper and Zmud, 1990). The implementation process approached different factors in Company X: user, organization, task, and technology.

During the 1990's high expectations were put on telemedicine technology in health care organizations, which can be seen as a reflexion of the society's interest in IT. The use of tele-medicine is expected to improve the quality and decrease costs of health care services. However, if these expectations are to be attained the visions have to be translated into fields of application in local settings where the technology would be used. This could be seen as an infusion process, which means that the technology would incrementally be used in a comprehensive and integrated manner. In this thesis, four Swedish telemedicine projects are analyzed. The approach used is that of Actor network theory (ANT), which has enabled the development of a theory of the infusion process, implementation of IT-projects, and parts of ANT, e.g. the model of the translation process and the notion of inscription. By using the concept of translation, it is possible to see the infusion process as a process where the generic features of the technology (transmitting sound and pictures in real time) are translated into concrete activities in local settings. These fields of application are realized by the mobilization of different task-based networks, where the roles of the actors are defined by the task to be solved. An iterated mobilization of the network implies further that the network will become stabilized, which is a central dimension in the process of infusion. Another way to understand the process of infusion is to describe it as cycles of implementation, where one cycle symbolizes the implementation of a field of application, which is a result of the translation of the generic features of the technology. The inscriptions in the studied technology allow a high degree of flexibility of use and flexibility of action. The flexibility means that fields of application ought to be developed in interaction between actors in local settings, and supporting programs of action are to be identified, or developed, in order to integrate technology use into daily routines. The considerable numbers of failed of IT-project implementations can be explained by the fact that a traditional planning perspective has been used on technologies, which allow a high degree of flexibility of use and flexibility of action. However, by categorizing inscriptions in technological artifacts, it becomes possible to predict what kinds of implementation strategies are appropriate for different kinds of technologies. By viewing the implementation of open networking technologies as a process of translation, the infusion process will be facilitated and a comprehensive and integrated use of technology will be enabled. / digitalisering@umu

Studiens syfte är att undersöka om användarinvolvering underlättar IT-implementeringar. Teknikens snabba framväxt påverkar organisationer i den grad att de måste implementera IT förr eller senare. Samtidigt finns det stora utmaningar med IT-implementeringar, de uppfyller sällan dess fulla potential eller bidrar med den förväntade nyttan. Ett sätt att underlätta IT-implementeringar är att involvera användare i processen, något som kallas för användarinvolvering. Studien riktar in sig på offentliga och privata organisationer i Sverige som har genomfört en eller flera IT-implementeringar de senaste 2 åren där användarinvolvering använts.  Denna studie är utformad genom en kvalitativ ansats. Empirin till studien har samlats in genom sju semistrukturerade intervjuer med respondenter vars roller i sina respektive organisationer bidrar till ett helhetsperspektiv kring studiens område. Fem organisationer medverkade i studien där två av organisationerna verkar inom offentlig sektor och tre inom privat sektor, varav tre respondenter är från samma företag. Organisationerna är verksamma inom finans, hälsovård, industrivaror & tjänster, försäkringar och transport.  Artikeldatabaser och bibliotekskataloger användes för att gå igenom tidigare forskning som sedan låg till grund för den teoretiska referensramen och analysen. De begrepp och teorier som används i studiens teoriavsnitt är problem och onödiga kostnader med IT-implementeringar, system development life cycle, användarinriktad design och organisationsstorlek & organisationsstruktur.  Studien visar att användarinvolvering har stor betydelse på korta IT-implementeringar som varar i 0–3 år. Vid långa IT-implementeringar som sträcker sig 3 år eller längre har användarinvolvering låg betydelse. Studien visar att användarnas involvering på implementeringar skiljer sig från verksamhet till verksamhet och är beroende av både implementeringen- och organisationens storlek. / The purpose of this study was to investigate if user involvement is a crucial factor for the success of IT implementation. The rapid evolvement of technology affects organizations to the extent that they need to implement Information Technology (IT) sooner or later. At the same time, there are big challenges with IT-implementations, they rarely fulfill their potential or contribute with the expected usage. One way to increase IT-implementation rate of success is to involve the user in the process, this is called user involvement. This study focuses on public and private organizations in Sweden who have implemented one or more IT-implementations in the last 2 years, where user involvement has been used.  This study is designed through a qualitative approach. Empiricism of the study has been gathered through seven semi-structured interviews with respondents whose roles in their respective organizations contribute to a holistic approach to this area of study. Five organizations were involved in this study where two of the organizations work within the public sector and the other three in private sector, whereof three respondents work in the same organization. The organizations in this study are active within the work areas of finance, healthcare, industrial goods & services, insurance and transportation.  Article databases and library catalogs were used to review previous research which then provided the basis for the theoretical reference and analysis. The concepts and theories used in the study’s theory section are problems and unnecessary costs with IT-implementations, system development life cycle, participatory design and organization size & organizational structure.  The study shows that user involvement is a key factor on short IT-implementations that lasts 0-3 years. For long IT-implementations lasting 3 years or more user involvement is of less importance. The study shows that user involvement on implementations differs from business to business and depends on both the size of the organization and implementation.

The constant pressure to achieve increased efficiency and profitability improvements drives companies to look at new technologies for ways to develop sustainable advantages. At the same time, the breathtakingly rapid technological development of these technologies leads, not surprisingly, to different misconceptions about the impact of IT on businesses.  This dissertation aims at clarifying some of these misconceptions by exploring one such technological breakthrough, namely wireless information systems, as used to support mobile workforces. The dissertation analyses three companies devoted to the implementation of wireless information systems, that were confronted with a number of challenges, and investigates how these challenges were met by means of different capability development activities. Evidence from the cases shows that what really matters is not the technology in itself, but how organizations use it. This study suggests that the firms that give the best performance are not necessarily those that implement different breeds of technology, but rather those that are able to learn from the challenges they are confronted with – doing so moreover on repeated occasions by means of interlinked organizational innovation processes. Thus, a piece of advice offered in this dissertation is that it is not always so important to possess all the right capabilities from the beginning, but that one needs to possess the right capabilities to develop new capabilities. / <p>Diss. Stockholm : Handelshögskolan, 2007</p>

Background: In the past, enterprises had no recognition of information integration and operated as independent units within a chain. As a result, most of the firms throughout the supply chain faced inadequate information sharing, lack of collaboration, and absence of compatible IT infrastructure. Theses three elements play a crucial role in information integration that assists companies’ goal congruence. In a highly competitive market, companies from different industries take these three elements into consideration in order to synchronize their activities. Nowadays, transportation industry plays a crucial role in all developed countries in order to fulfill the customer’s needs and act as a connection between manufacturers and consumers. Intermodal freight transportation is one of the elements of transportation industry that includes two main players - freight company and terminal operator. In this respect, it is essential to review theoretical framework and explore the practice of information integration within intermodal freight transportation. Hence, this study carries an investigation on information integration in accordance with theoretical framework from the perspective of the dyad that includes a freight company and a terminal operator. Purpose: The research defines the level of information integration within intermodal freight transportation. A freight company and a terminal operator are the players studied in this research. Three elements of information integration, which are collaboration, information sharing, and IT implementation and adaptation, are investigated in order to identify the level of information integration. The main objective is to understand the information integration and its level within the industry from a dyadic perspective. Method: This research is conducted from a positivist scientific perspective along with qualitative research method and deductive approach. The authors conduct the embedded multiple-case study with a dyadic perspective. In this context, the freight companies and terminal operators are the studied players within this research. In order to gather the empirical data, semi- structured interviews are conducted via telephone and email. Empirical data is analyzed by utilizing two different methods, which are within-case and cross-case analysis. Furthermore, ethical issues are considered in this research, based upon trustworthiness and accuracy. Result and Conclusions: The conclusion of this research is based upon within and cross case analysis. Three studied dyads have shown the same result of medium level, while one dyad has demonstrated high level of information integration. In this regard, each dyad has been rated separately in accordance with the theoretical framework that provides scale with low, medium and high levels regarding collaboration, information sharing, and IT implementation and adaptation in order to find the level of information integration. From the dyadic perspective and with help of cross case analysis, the level of information integration regarding the whole research population is defined at medium level. It is remarkable that obtained results, in accordance with the theoretical framework, are different from the companies’ representatives’ perception of information integration.

During the 1990's high expectations were put on telemedicine technology in health care organizations, which can be seen as a reflexion of the society's interest in IT. The use of tele-medicine is expected to improve the quality and decrease costs of health care services. However, if these expectations are to be attained the visions have to be translated into fields of application in local settings where the technology would be used. This could be seen as an infusion process, which means that the technology would incrementally be used in a comprehensive and integrated manner. In this thesis, four Swedish telemedicine projects are analyzed. The approach used is that of Actor network theory (ANT), which has enabled the development of a theory of the infusion process, implementation of IT-projects, and parts of ANT, e.g. the model of the translation process and the notion of inscription. By using the concept of translation, it is possible to see the infusion process as a process where the generic features of the technology (transmitting sound and pictures in real time) are translated into concrete activities in local settings. These fields of application are realized by the mobilization of different task-based networks, where the roles of the actors are defined by the task to be solved. An iterated mobilization of the network implies further that the network will become stabilized, which is a central dimension in the process of infusion. Another way to understand the process of infusion is to describe it as cycles of implementation, where one cycle symbolizes the implementation of a field of application, which is a result of the translation of the generic features of the technology. The inscriptions in the studied technology allow a high degree of flexibility of use and flexibility of action. The flexibility means that fields of application ought to be developed in interaction between actors in local settings, and supporting programs of action are to be identified, or developed, in order to integrate technology use into daily routines. The considerable numbers of failed of IT-project implementations can be explained by the fact that a traditional planning perspective has been used on technologies, which allow a high degree of flexibility of use and flexibility of action. However, by categorizing inscriptions in technological artifacts, it becomes possible to predict what kinds of implementation strategies are appropriate for different kinds of technologies. By viewing the implementation of open networking technologies as a process of translation, the infusion process will be facilitated and a comprehensive and integrated use of technology will be enabled. / digitalisering@umu