The socio-technical dynamics of ICT innovation: a social shaping analysis of portals

This PhD thesis presents a longitudinal study of the dynamics of the innovation process of a standardised technology. The study addresses the factors that shape technology decision-making along the entire technology life cycle - from design to implementation - within the context of a complex socio-technical setting. The development of the Internet led to acceleration in the diffusion of Inter-Organisational Networks and Systems (IONS), particularly of portals. Portals are defined as linked electronic platforms with a single point-of-entry, independent of time and space, and that enable collaboration through access to multiple sources from different organisational information systems. Organisations develop and implement portals to respond to market pressures, for example in order to rationalise procurement.The thesis attempts to expand the understanding of the socio-technical dynamics patterning both the decision-making process and the outcomes of complex ICT innovation projects. The thesis seeks to overcome the shortcomings of existing social and economic research on inter-organisational standardisation by redressing the limitations in terms of empirical scope and analytical frameworks of, on the one hand, studies of standard setting processes which neglect the wider and subsequent context of implementation and, on the other hand, of 'diffusion of standards' studies which ignore the way in which standards evolve in their implementation. This study specifically answers theoretical and practical questions of ICT innovation dynamics in a complex multi-spaced setting, combining economic, technical and sociological theories. The research draws on the Social Shaping of Technology (SST) perspective by explaining ICT innovations as historical and contexted actor-focussed technological change processes. The thesis develops a Multi-level Space of Innovation Dynamics (MSID) framework to capture the dynamics of standardised portal technology development and its outcomes on two levels: at a micro level, focusing on individuals and groups in the adopting organisation (zoom in), and at the meso level, addressing the effects that the dynamics have in the broader context of the sector (zoom out). Jorgensen's concept of 'arena' is used to analyse the way in which the actors involved at the company and the industry level are configured together. The turbulent dynamics are analysed as the outcome of complex processes of change involving the configuration and re-configuration of the various arenas and networks in which the array of involved organisational actors are embedded.The contribution to existing knowledge is based on the development of the MSID framework and its application to a complex multi-layered and longitudinal case study based in the automotive industry. The researcher's unique extensive access as a participant and analyst to the complex setting of the portal development was essential to develop the framework and to illustrate the ways in which theoretical concepts can be grounded in real empirical cases. The research finds that ICT innovations are shaped by history and context of the adopting organisation and the actors involved. The extremely complex organisational politics of decision-making processes were patterned by the configuration of the project and the management of expertise. Interactions and realignments amongst this complex set of socio-technical factors led to a drift in the subsequent outcomes. This study supports the socio-technical analysis of supply chains as mutually shaped by technology and the adopting user organisation. Finally, the study also provides organisations with rich sociological insights that could translate into the planning of similar technology-driven projects