A Fluid Metaphor to Theorize IT Artifacts

2014 ◽  
pp. 61-86
Author(s):  
Rennie Naidoo ◽  
Awie Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Self Service Technology ◽  
Advance Theory ◽  
It Artifact ◽  
Empirical Material

This chapter extends existing metaphors used to conceptualise the unique features of contemporary IT artifacts. Some of these artifacts are innately complex, and current conceptualisations dominated by a “black box” metaphor seem to be too limited to further advance theory and offer practical design prescriptions. Using empirical material drawn from a longitudinal case study of an Internet-based self-service technology implementation, this chapter analyses various aspects of an artifact's fluidity. Post-actor network theory concepts are used to analyse the artifact's varying identities, its vague boundaries, its unexpected usage patterns, and its resourceful designers. The successes and failures of the artifact, its complex and elusive relations, and the unintended ways user practices emerged, are also analysed. This chapter contributes by extending orthodox metaphors that overemphasise a stable and enduring IT artifact—metaphors that conceal the increasingly unpredictable and transitory nature of IT artifacts—with the distinctive characteristics of fluidity. Several prescriptions for the design and management of fluid IT artifacts are offered.

Observing the ‘Fluid’ Continuity of an IT Artefact

2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 23-46 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rennie Naidoo ◽  
Awie Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Implementation Approach ◽  
Usage Patterns ◽  
Healthcare Insurance ◽  
Technological Object ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Self Service Technology

Novel contemporary healthcare information systems offer the prospect of exploring unique features of the IT artefact and probing the finer, integral relations between society, technology, and humans. Some of these IT artefacts are innately complex and current theoretical perspectives are too limited to enrich their understanding. Using material from a longitudinal case study of an Internet-based self-service technology implementation in the private healthcare insurance context, this paper explores various aspects of ‘fluid continuity’ enacted by a technological object. The authors observe the object’s varying identities, its vague boundaries, its unexpected usage patterns, and its resourceful designers. They also analyze both the success and failure of the technological object, its complex and elusive relations, and the way in which it shaped new configurations of practice in the RSA and UK. This paper challenges conventional perspectives of a stable and enduring IT artefact and offers an alternative; it claims that a contemporary IT artefact is not necessarily delineated by firm boundaries or stable relations; instead they can be unpredictable and transitory. This paper furthers the understanding of how researchers can apply post actor network theory (ANT) concepts to study contemporary IT-based artefacts and offers several insights to practitioners on the virtues of a flexible implementation approach.

Tracing the Many Translations of a Web-Based IT Artefact

2010 ◽  
pp. 1668-1688
Author(s):  
R. Naidoo ◽  
A. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Healthcare Insurance ◽  
Self Service ◽  
The Many ◽  
Self Service Technology ◽  
Human Actors ◽  
Complementary Channel ◽  
Case Based

This chapter adopts an interpretive, case based research strategy to discuss the centrality of meaning in implementing an Internet-based self-service technology. Actor-Network theory (ANT) is used to describe the complex evolution of a Web-based service at a healthcare insurance firm. Using processes of inscribing, translating and framing, this chapter explores the emergence of the technology from 1999 – 2005 using three technological frames, ‘channel of choice’, ‘dazzle the customer’, and ‘complementary channel’ as episodes of translation. ANT demonstrates that the Internet-based self-service technology at this particular healthcare context emerged out of many unplanned negotiations and mediations with both human and non human actors. Finally, this chapter argues that ANT’s socio-technical lens provides a richer understanding of the meaning of Internet-based self-service technology within a multi-channel context.

A Socio-Technical Account of an Internet-Based Self-Service Technology Implementation

2012 ◽  
pp. 68-91
Author(s):  
Rennie Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
Field Study ◽  
South African ◽  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Is Implementation ◽  
Healthcare Insurance ◽  
Delivery Options ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Self Service Technology ◽  
Political Economic ◽  
Service Channels

Despite the rampant growth in technology-based service delivery options, the implementation of these contemporary forms of service channels continues to be risky and problematic for organisations. Current conceptualisations of IS implementation is rather narrow and highlights only particular aspects of this phenomenon. This paper adopts a socio-technical lens to enhance our understanding of the implementation of an Internet-based self-service technology (ISST) at a major South African healthcare insurance firm. Actor-Network theory’s (ANT) key conceptual elements of inscription and translation are used to describe how the design and use of this self-service technology emerged from the co-entanglement between the technological and social. Drawing from a field study, this paper demonstrates the complex interdependencies and interactions among contrasting social, political, economic and technological issues and therefore advances implementation theory for these contemporary service channels in yet another important way.

Tracing the Many Translations of a Web-Based IT Artefact

2010 ◽  
pp. 202-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Naidoo ◽  
A. Leonard
Keyword(s):  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Research Strategy ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Healthcare Insurance ◽  
Self Service ◽  
The Many ◽  
Self Service Technology ◽  
Human Actors ◽  
Complementary Channel ◽  
Case Based

This chapter adopts an interpretive, case based research strategy to discuss the centrality of meaning in implementing an Internet-based self-service technology. Actor-Network theory (ANT) is used to describe the complex evolution of a Web-based service at a healthcare insurance firm. Using processes of inscribing, translating and framing, this chapter explores the emergence of the technology from 1999 – 2005 using three technological frames, ‘channel of choice’, ‘dazzle the customer’, and ‘complementary channel’ as episodes of translation. ANT demonstrates that the Internet-based self-service technology at this particular healthcare context emerged out of many unplanned negotiations and mediations with both human and non human actors. Finally, this chapter argues that ANT’s socio-technical lens provides a richer understanding of the meaning of Internet-based self-service technology within a multi-channel context.

Performance measurement system innovations in hospitals as translation processes

2017 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 955-978 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Leotta ◽  
Daniela Ruggeri
Keyword(s):  
Performance Measurement ◽  
Measurement System ◽  
Network Theory ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Actor Network Theory ◽  
Performance Measurement System ◽  
Longitudinal Case Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Radical Innovations

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to highlight how the variety of the actors involved in a performance measurement system (PMS) innovation are spread out in time and space. Healthcare contests are examined, where such an innovation is influenced by present and past systems and practices (spread out in time), and by managerial and health-professional actors (spread out in space). Design/methodology/approach Drawing on Callon’s actor network theory, the authors describe PMS innovations as processes of translation, and distinguish between incremental and radical innovations. The theoretical arguments are used to explain the evidence drawn from a longitudinal case study carried out in an Italian public teaching hospital, referring to the period from 1998 up to 2003. Findings The conceptual framework shows how the translation moments lead to a recognition of the different actants involved in a PMS innovation, how their interests are interrelated and mobilized. Moreover, it shows how the interaction among the actants involved in the process is related to the type of PMS innovation, i.e. radical vs incremental. The case evidence offers detailed insights into the phenomenon, testing the explanatory power of the framework, and highlights how the failure of one of the translation moments can compromise the success of a PMS innovation. Originality/value This study differs from the extant accounting literature on PMS innovations as it highlights how the introduction of a new PMS can be affected by some elements of the previous systems “package,” which are relevant for the mobilization of the actants through the new project.

scholarly journals Factors Influencing the Intention to Use Technology Services to Implement Self-Service Technology Case Study: Situation Pandemic Covid-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 342-347
Author(s):  
Erick Fernando ◽  
Surjandy Surjandy ◽  
Meyliana Meyliana ◽  
Henry Antonius Wijadja ◽  
Desman Hidayat ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Intention To Use ◽  
Factors Influencing ◽  
Technology Services ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Self Service Technology

scholarly journals Perceptions of self-service technology in the small, rural public library of New Zealand: Self-issue @ Selwyn Library – a case study

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Christine Grant
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Economies Of Scale ◽  
Public Library ◽  
Customer Relationships ◽  
Resource Saving ◽  
Customer Services ◽  
Self Service ◽  
Urban Libraries ◽  
Self Service Technology

<p>Self-service technologies are prevalent in our society, and libraries are no exception. The general consensus emerging from the literature outlines the main benefits of self-service implementation: namely resource saving and enhanced customer services. However a more negative view emphasises potential challenges such as cost, staff and customer resistance, as well technical difficulties, not to mention the “dehumanizing of the library”. Much of this current research has tended to focus on the experiences of larger urban libraries with correspondingly large budgets and economies of scale. To address an apparent gap in the literature, this paper aimed to find out how well self-service is accepted in the small, rural public library of New Zealand by conducting a case study on one technology at one library: self-issue at Selwyn Library. A threefold approach was taken: first the statistics were analysed to give a picture of what was happening in terms of self-issue usage; second, staff were interviewed to get their insights and viewpoints; third, customers, both users and non-users of self-issue, were surveyed for their perspectives. The study concluded that self-issue did have a place within the small rural New Zealand public library context. Though some barriers existed there was a section of library customers who embraced it and staff were positive about the potential benefits self-issue could effect. The context also meant that there was a degree of flexibility that may be unavailable to larger institutions. The dual characteristics of not having expensive security systems to integrate with coupled with close customer relationships, allowed smaller libraries to try their own self-issue systems without exorbitant expenditure. The study’s main limitation is that it is based on the experiences and data from one library which has only had self-issue for just over a year, and the particular situation that exists there may not be applicable to other libraries.</p>

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