Understanding managerial behaviour during initial steps of a clinical information system adoption

Area of Science:

• Health Informatics
• Information Systems Management
• Organizational Behavior

Background:

• Limited research exists on pre-adoption and pre-implementation stages of configurable IT.
• This study focuses on managerial behavior before clinical information system (CIS) implementation in Canadian hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore managerial behavior during the pre-implementation phases of a CIS.
• To understand how managerial discourse shapes technology configuration in organizational contexts.

Main Methods:

• A case study research design was employed.
• A structurationist theoretical stance guided the longitudinal examination of 33 months.
• Managerial discourse patterns contributing to CIS configuration were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Managers' decisions were influenced by financial constraints and inter-group power struggles.
• Technological aspects were prioritized over organizational dimensions during pre-implementation.
• The concept of 'rhetorical ambivalence' emerged from the findings.

Conclusions:

• Managers play a crucial role in the initial phases of CIS adoption.
• Early managerial decisions significantly impact subsequent technology implementation.
• The study contributes to understanding underdeveloped pre-implementation IT processes.