System user pathways to change

Abstract

This study was motivated by observations of user innovation within a study of functional gains to a complex system; the user changes introduced novel function with a seemingly minimal reliance on material change. To better understand how users were realizing these changes, empirical research of user change behaviors was accomplished. This present research unpacks user change behaviors through an inductive analysis of four cases of user design. Although material changes were observed, they were not a necessary condition for functional gain; rather, system users demonstrated a reliance upon the introduction of novel system configurations (operational change) and novel user task structures (human change). This paper presents this inductive study, considers the pathways for change employed by system users, and motivates future research for leveraging these pathways for change.