Social worlds, individual differences and implementation

Implementation research has identified a wide variety of factors, such as individual differences, implementation practices, and system usage, that influence the success or failure of information systems. The present research proposes that, especially in health care organizations, both occupational and department social worlds are additional, important predictors of individual reactions to medical information systems. Quantitative and qualitative methods were used to investigate the two-year process of implementing a computerized medical records information system in one health care organization. Results support the importance of social worlds, as well as some of the traditional implementation influences (but not individual differences such as cognitive style, prior computer experience, age) in understanding individual attitudes toward the computer system. The study also highlights current implementation issues and their implications for system planners and managers. The research adds to the present understanding of the complexity of attitudes toward technological innovations, and the importance of membership in social worlds in influencing those attitudes.