Dissertation
Sense Making of IT Innovations and Management of IT Innovation Information in Small to Medium sized Enterprises: Towards a Purposeful Inquiry and Purposeful Intervention Concept
University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
Doctor of Philosophy, University of the Sunshine Coast
2008
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.25907/00581
Abstract
The introduction of a modern globalised economy and the advent of the Internet and the World Wide Web have imparted a need for businesses operators to be constantly informed about relevant Information Technology (IT) innovations. Some of these IT innovations can affect business success and survival; the focus of this research was on the IT sense making and management of IT innovation information within regional Small to Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs). This research included an interpretivist sensemaking inquiry into the IT-related capabilities of SMEs. The first objective of this field-based inquiry was to examine how SMEs managed their IT information environment and how they made sense of IT innovations in practice. The second objective was to introduce practical change that demonstrably improved these two IT-related activities. A review of the relevant literature revealed little in the way of theoretical frameworks that were capable of achieving these objectives. As a result, this research developed and tested several new research tools which were developed and tested, such as the frameworks for 'Inquiry and Intervention'. These frameworks were developed using an applied methodology known as the Soft Systems Methodology (SSM). The frameworks were then operationalised using the action research methodology within eight SME case study situations. The result of this activity was the provision of many valuable findings and insights, which related to how SMEs made sense of IT innovations in practice and how they managed their respective IT innovation information environments. Other key findings were noted, such as the highly centralised nature of the IT sense making process and the unstructured, ad-hoc nature of the IT innovation evaluation process. The IT information management of these SMEs was also noted as being poor, since they operate within an extremely rich information environment; however, most chose to make sense of IT innovations using only lean information sources. The types of IT innovation information sources identified in this study included both formal and informal, such as family and friends. The primary source of this information was from vendors of IT products and services and consultancy firms that had little or no understanding about the IT needs of each business.
Details
- Title
- Sense Making of IT Innovations and Management of IT Innovation Information in Small to Medium sized Enterprises: Towards a Purposeful Inquiry and Purposeful Intervention Concept
- Authors
- Robert Glen
- Contributors
- Justin Debuse (Supervisor)
- Awarding institution
- University of the Sunshine Coast
- Degree awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Publisher
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- DOI
- 10.25907/00581
- Organisation Unit
- University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland
- Language
- English
- Record Identifier
- 99449766402621
- Output Type
- Dissertation
- Research Statement
- false
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