Hidden Agendas in Information Systems Deployment

I just finished reading Hidden Agendas, Power, and Managerial Assumptions in Information Systems Development: An Ethnographic Study by Myers & Young.

This paper describes an ethnographic research project conducted to study the development of an information system in a mental health setting.  During this research project, the researchers used an ethnographic research method known as critical ethnography.  A review of the research method as well as the project itself follows.

As mentioned, the critical ethnography research method has been described by Thomas (1993) as a means to “describe, analyze and open to scrutiny otherwise hidden agendas, power centers, and assumptions that inhibit, repress, and constrain” (Thomas, 1993, pp. 2-3).   The critical ethnography approach entices the researcher(s) to not only study a subject but also the context in which that subject is operating in, thereby seeing the broader context and issues (such as political agendas, etc) (Myers & Young, 1997).  Using a critical ethnography approach in information systems development makes perfect sense as many information systems projects are wrapped in politics, hidden agendas and assumptions that can cause these IS projects to fail.

The theoretical model for the concepts studied in this project is based on Broadbent, Laughlin & Read’s (1991) model of societal development, which in itself is based on Habermas’ (1984) social development model that states that governments and systems can be ‘steering mechanisms’ to drive change and enforce some control into organizations.  The idea of information system as steering mechanism to enforce change and control mechanisms is the at the heart of this research project (Myers & Young, 1997).

The researchers were able to insert themselves into a mental health institution in New Zealand to study information system development and implementation.   The system being implemented was to provide a new ‘control’ mechanism instituted by the New Zealand government as well as other managerial controls that the hospital was looking to implement.  While many within the hospital were initially OK with these controls, it became apparent to many doctors and nurses that some aspects of this new information system would affect how they did their job and their work practices. According to the authors, this alarmed many within the hospital to the point where coalitions began to appear that threatened to undermine the information system deployment.  Using the critical ethnographic approach, the researchers were able to uncover this resistance using interviews, participant observation, documents and reports (Myers & Young, 1997).

The ‘top-level’ results of this study aren’t surprising to anyone who’s been involved in information system development and deployment.  It’s clear that there are political and hidden agendas within any organization and team and these agendas do cause issues within information system development and deployment projects.   In addition to agendas, there are usually assumptions made by organizations about why information systems should be deployed and/or why users are having a difficult time ‘accepting’ a new system.

The authors, using critical ethnography, were able to look past these agendas and agendas to find the real causes of issues.  For example, the senior leaders within the mental institution were able to realize, with the help of the researchers, that the issues that they were seeing with the information system deployment wasn’t necessarily a system issue or user’s not understanding how to use the system.  The real, underlying issue for user acceptance of the information system had to do with their beliefs that the new ‘controls’ being placed on them by the hospital and New Zealand government would have consequences on to their jobs.  Realizing this, the hospital administration elected to postpone the deployment of some of the modules that enforced these controls until users became more comfortable with the underlying reasons for the new controls.

While the critical ethnographic approach worked well to help the researchers uncover hidden agendas and assumptions, the authors ethnographic data did not support Broadbent et. al.’s (1991) societal development model.  This model suggested that a steering mechanism whose goal was cost control (as found in this research project) would be seen by doctors as a management edict rather something that made sense for their medical practice.  The authors were able to show through this research project that most doctors agreed with the management ideas of cost control but disagreed with the method in which it would be implemented, which is a different outcome as the one proposed in Broadbent et. al.’s (1991) societal development model.

References

• Broadbent, J., Laughlin, R., & Read, S. (1991). Recent financial and administrative changes in the NHS: a critical theory analysis. Critical Perspectives on Accounting, 2(1), 1-29.
• Habermas, J. (1984). The Theory of Communicative Action Volume 1: Reason and Rationalisation of Society (Vol. 1). London: T. McCarthy Heinemann.
• Myers, M. D., & Young, L. W. (1997). Hidden Agendas, Power, and Managerial Assumptions in Information Systems Development: An Ethnographic Study. Information Technology & People, 10(3), 224-240.
• Thomas, J. (1993). Doing critical ethnography Qualitative Research Methods (Vol. 26). Newbury Park, CA: Sage Publications.