Role model for the organisational it diffusion process

Abstract

Organisational IT diffusion is a complicated process. Certain roles have to be filled and enacted to ensure success. However, in diffusion and adoption projects is it often forgotten to fill the roles appropriately. Based on an empirical study in a Scandinavian company this paper presents a model to be used for filling and handling the primary roles in an organisational IT diffusion process. The model was developed using action research with three cycles of diagnosis-action and learning. The main sources of the model were change management theory, diffusion of innovation theory and soft systems methodology. The role model has been used in a large number of projects with a positive outcome; the model can be used to identify some important potential IT diffusion problems at an early stage, thereby making it possible to avoid the problems. © 2004 Kluwer Academic Publishers.