Facilitating Organizational Adoption of Sensor-Based Systems: Espoused Beliefs, Shared Assumptions and Perceived Values

The advent of sensor-based systems with their ability to collect, transmit and process context-aware data creates new opportunities for service delivery. We know from earlier research that there may be barriers to the adoption of new information technology (IT) within an organization. Sensor-based systems, with unprecedented potential for monitoring of products, people and processes are an interesting mix of potential and risk. Through the lens of organizational culture theory, we examine the question: Given the ambiguity and complexity of sensor-based systems, how does organizational culture influence perceptions of system value and purpose, and which factors determine the susceptibility of adoption among individual workers and teams? Our results suggest that the adoption of sensor-based systems is facilitated by 1) a basic comprehension of the system, its functionality, purpose and limitations; 2) a shared view of stakeholders’ roles and responsibilities, and 3) a pronounced and tangible vision for value creation

Introduction to the Minitrack on Social-Technical Issues in Organizational Information Technologies

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Here, there, but not everywhere: Adoption and diffusion of IoT in Swedish municipalities

The Internet of Things (IoT) brings with it promises of smart cities with improved efficiency, increased transparency, and enhanced public services. However, few studies have empirically and systematically investigated the reasoning behind the decision to adopt IoT within municipal organizations. In this paper we study the adoption and diffusion of IoT in Swedish municipalities. We outline areas of application and perceived value creation and conclude that the main reasons for adoption and diffusion can be traced back to 1) the simplicity of the IoT solution, and 2) clear incentives. Among the municipalities that have not embraced IoT, commonly cited barriers are economic factors and that other, more politically charged, issues take priority. This paper extends our understanding of public sector perception of IoT, as well as provides a comprehensive outlook on drivers for IoT-adoption

Change Agents and Resilient Practices: The Power of Symbolic Capital in a Post-Merger Integration Context

This study analyzes the interactions among mandated change agents within a post-merger integration context and examines the implications of their practices as they attempt to engage with others in a cross-boundary information system implementation project. We examine the case of the Metropolitan Healthcare Center, where three previously independent centers were merged into one, and follow the individuals who were appointed to ensure the integration of a new, mutual information system across the three center sites. We draw on a practice perspective and the notion of symbolic capital to shed light on post-merger practices and their outcomes. Our analysis suggests that one of the change agent’s practices of boundary consolidation through influence tactics were legitimized through discourses of authoritative knowledge and ‘group-making’. This facilitated the construction of symbolic boundaries between the merging parties, thus contributing to the resilience of pre-merger practices despite the planned intention to create change

Att dekonstruera sociomaterialitet : En undersökning av fjärrdiagnostiksystem i interorganisatoriska nätverk

Firmly placed in an industrial setting, this research explored the introduction of remote monitoring technology into three different organizational contexts. By following these organizations over time, starting with their intention to invest in remote monitoring systems (RMS), there was a unique opportunity to witness their processes and to gain an insight into the intricacies of information technology (IT) and organizational transformation. The main question that this research sought to answer was thus: How is IT implicated in the remote monitoring of industrial equipment? Previous information systems research has been accused of not paying enough attention to the material, that is, of not being specific about technology. This research adopted a sociomaterial perspective, thus recognizing the constitutive entanglement of the material and the social, and thereby acknowledging their mutual dependency. However, in order to provide specific insights about the material, an analytical disentanglement was performed, by extending the concept of agency from a focus on “the what” to include “the how”. Change was thus studied by not only asking what the nature of change is and who or what causes change to occur, but by also tracing how change is enacted, thus capturing both material and social agency as well as tracing their entanglement. This research employed a broad approach, designed to provide a profound and extensive account of the studied phenomenon. Consequently, the thesis explored value creation, sourcing routines, partnership formation and innovative practices all related to remote diagnostics design and use. In addition, the research was qualitative and used interpretive case studies as the main methodology. A composite finding of this research is that an RMS, with its ability to collect, transmit, store, and analyze specific contextual information across time and space, provides opportunities for boundary-spanning activities manifested as the formation of interorganizational networks. Furthermore, by tracing the information capabilities of the IT, and by being specific about the material, it has been possible to explore how RMSs have the potential to influence both organizational form and content. Through the examination of RMSs within interorganizational networks and as a part of value creation practices, this research has also shown how the organizational form and content have the potential to influence RMSs; their design, use, and material affordances. This research also placed focus on the importance of trust and has shown that trust in technology is established through trust in people

Upplevelser av att vara närstående till en person med Alzheimers sjukdom : Litteraturstudie baserad på självbiografiska verk

När en familjemedlem drabbas av Alzheimers sjukdom förändras hela livssituationen för de närstående. För att kunna ge en individanpassad omvårdnad med god kvalitet för personer med Alzheimers sjukdom krävs en bra samverkan mellan sjuksköterskan och de närstående. Genom att få en ökad förståelse och kunskap om de närståendes upplevelser har sjuksköterskan möjlighet att möta de närståendes behov och stödja dem i vårdarrollen. Syftet med studien är att belysa upplevelsen av att vårda en person med Alzheimers sjukdom i hemmet. Metoden utgår från Lundman och Graneheims kvalitativa innehållsanalys där tre självbiografier granskas och analyseras. Analysen resulterade i tre kategorier med tre tillhörande subkategorier. Kategorierna är sorg, förändrad livssituation och ljuspunkter. De närstående lever dagligen med sorgen och saknaden av det som varit. Vardagen tillsammans med en person med Alzheimers sjukdom fylls av fysisk och psykisk belastning och risken för utmattning är stor. Samtidigt upplever de närstående ljuspunkter tillsammans med sin livspartner som får dem att fortsätta att orka vårda den Alzheimers sjuka personen i hemmet.Examensarbete på kandidatnivå i vårdvetenskap, fristående kurs, distansutbildnin

Outsourcing as open innovation : Exploring preconditions for the open innovation model in the process industry

The open innovation model embraces the purposive flow of internal and external ideas as a ground for innovation and network formation. While the open innovation paradigm has been successfully applied in high-tech settings, there is a gap in the research on adopters of open innovation in other settings. This research was conducted in a process industry setting, performed as a case study at Alpha Corp., a large minerals group, and Remote Diagnostics Centre, its service provider, where ICT is being increasingly used to monitor the process line, resulting in the creation of new value networks. The underlying question is: Why and how do open innovation projects develop over time? Our findings show that adoption of the open innovation model is grounded in developing organizational environments that are conducive to innovation, including expertise in creating a culture for knowledge sharing, building a trustful environment, and a resourceful use of interaction technologies