Implementation of Groupware Technology in a Large Distributed Organization-Lessons Learned (original) (raw)
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Conditions for Change Related to Groupware in a Distributed Organization: a Case Study
2003
Groupware is often used in distributed organizations to support communication and coordination. Managers direct resources and set up goals for the deployment of groupware. It is however difficult to foresee the effect of groupware and many cases report that groupware is either hardly used or does not produce the intended effects. We have analyzed the deployment and use of the web-based groupware application Lotus QuickPlace TM in a large financial distributed organization that has just emerged as the result of a major merger. Based on interviews, survey, and http log-analysis, we have identified four general types of settings where the groupware has been used: Newly established organizational units, special interest groups, short term projects, and teams handling recurrent tasks. We characterize these settings and present the overall conditions that have proven to be critical to the deployment of groupware in the case. Challenges and expectations are discussed and ideas concerning strategies for change are suggested. It is concluded that change related to groupware faces conditions that challenge ambitious goals in three of the settings, while conditions in general favour successful change related to recurrent tasks.
2000
This paper is based upon an extensive empirical study of the introduction and use of a groupware application in a large organization. The implementation of the groupware raised a number of conflicts in the organization and it was only partially adopted. We discuss how a model of implementation and change management, which introduces a distinction between an organizational/infrastructural level and
Groupware: a strategic analysis and implementation
Industrial Management & Data Systems, 1999
The term groupware is widely used but not clearly defined. Owing to ongoing rapid developments, a consistent definition of the term has proved elusive. However, there is a good reason to view groupware as a technology that addresses the vast areas of collaboration, human‐computer interaction, and human‐human interaction through digital media to bring substantial improvement and transformation to organizations. This paper analyzes the definitions, implementation, and management of groupware. The focus is on the strategic considerations rather than technical solutions. Factors that contribute to the future development of groupware are also discussed.
Groupware in Practice: An Interpretation of Work Experience
1990
Observers have identified a potential for major improvements in organizational productivity made possible through the use of personal computers serving as a means to link people into task-oriented teams. The study we conducted, given in overview form here, offers an early examination of how people are using personal computers for such electronic exchanges via networking. Our interviews of 223 people who were using several "groupware " systems in a sample of 25 enterprises indicate how they employ these software tools to support their group work. We conclude that complex interactions of social and technical factors affect the use of groupware systems in organizations. We outline issues which both the developers of systems and the managers implementing groupware systems must understand in order to facilitate the design, introduction, and use of these systems. Acknowledgements: The authors wish to acknowledge the many individuals who agreed to be interviewed, and interacted w...
Strategies for Interweaving Groupware and Organizational Structure
Many authors contend that realizing benefits of new information technologies requires adjusting such technologies to fit with the organization's context or, alternatively, they suggest adjusting organizational practices to accord with the new technologies (Rifkin, 1995). However, Orlikowski and Yates (2006) pointed out that the ways these prescriptions are applied in practice are yet ill defined. Our research yields practice-based suggestions for developing groupware, organizational processes, procedures, and organizational culture needed for successful implementation of information technology.
GROUPWARE - Modern information managerial method
The notion groupware contents the information technologies that facilitate the team work and that are intended for communication, collaboration, coordination within the organization. Having as base software routines for teamwork, the groupware technology has many applications in the management process of the organization. The notion groupware refers to a special class of web packages connected to a network of personal computers: email, chat, video IP, newsgroups, etc. The studies from the literature consider the groupware as a class of software programs that facilitate the coordination, the communication and the cooperation within the member of a group. As in marketing the marketing-mix is known as the “4P”, in the area of groupware its characteristics are known as the “3C”: communication within the group; coordination among the members of the group; collaboration among the members of the group. From the groupware software those with relevance for the managerial activity are: electr...
Emergent Use-Patterns: Studying the Integration of Groupware in a Networked Organisation
Proceedings of the 25th Information Systems Research Seminar in Scandinavia, IRIS 25 - New Ways of Working in IS, August 10-13, Bautahøj, Denmark, pp. 1174-1184., 2002
When a networked organisation chooses to invest a considerable amount of resources in deploying a groupware application the reasons and goals can vary. No matter why the groupware was initially deployed it is in general very difficult to monitor and evaluate how it is actually used and integrated with the work practice. This research-in-progress investigates the possibilities of evaluating the integration by characterising emergent use-patterns. We have studied the deployment and use of a generic web based groupware application-Lotus QuickPlace (QP)-in a large networked organisation distributed throughout Scandinavia and elsewhere. We have employed a research method comprising different data-gathering techniques-interview, participant observation, document analysis, survey, and http-log analysis-in an attempt to analyse how the groupware is used and which general use-patterns emerge after deployment. The ongoing research has been carried out since the initial installation of the application in summer 2000, and has identified different types of general use-patterns, which have emerged in the subsequent use of the groupware in the organisation. We examine four cases of QP use and describe the emergent use-pattern in each case. Characterising factors of these four use-patterns are discussed in order to show some preliminary findings of this approach and discuss future research efforts.
Evolution of Groupware: A Boon for Business in Group Environment
1. Introduction Business is a set of complex activities which is performed by coordinating the tasks of different persons of the same group or people of different groups. The intelligent execution of business needs accurate and timely information for decision making. Business activities involve meeting, discussion, scheduling of tasks, communication, managing work flow etc. There is traditional way of doing these activities in business which is time consuming and in situations where members are situated at different locations cannot be performed. Information Technology has extended its help and support in doing these complex activities efficiently and always possible even when people are not physically available at the central place of execution or at the time of execution of the particular activity. Groupware is the term used to denote a type of software that supports group tasks. The commercially available Groupware are the set of software tools having capability to support many group activities. Our research reveals that the Lotus Notes was the first commercially available groupware. Today, we have large number of groupware and some of them are available as open source. The application of Groupware in group environment has improved the quality of group tasks in terms of time saving, efficiency, effective communication and coordination. The present paper is an effort to trace the evolution of groupware and its early use in group work environment. This paper includes defining the Groupware (the digital collaborative tool), evolution of various tools, Groupware as part of CSCW (Computer Supported Cooperative Work) research, Scope of Groupware current status of groupware in groupware, findings and suggestions. Literature has been reviewed to find the initial efforts that has resulted in development of groupware technology. The paper tried to scan the literature to reveal the process of development in the technology and its application in business process improvement. Important tools of groupware have evolved over the years to meet the increasing requirement in group work environment.