Investigating user responses to mandatory IT- induced organisational changes: a pre-implementation study

Organisational spending on IT-systems is still on the rise, despite research indicating that majority of these IT-systems are not used optimally by employees. This has been attributed to a wide range of responses from IT users, especially in a mandatory use context. In spite of decades of research, the identification of various user responses to IT and the factors that influence these responses remain very important. This study seeks to investigate how users respond to mandated IT-induced organisational changes and what factors influence these responses over time. An interpretive case study approach was adopted, with semi-structured interviews used as the primary data source at a Radio/Television station. Preliminary findings indicate that users respond differently (i.e., opportunity and threat responses) to the proposed mandated IT implementation, and also reveal 3 factors (i.e., management support, user involvement, and social influence) that influence a user’s primary appraisal at the pre-implementation stage. The next phase of this study involves expansion of our interview questions and further in-depth interviews at an additional case site, at both the pre and post-implementation stages of Mandated IT-implementation projects. Upon completion, this research is expected to contribute to the IT use literature by deepening our understanding of different user responses to mandated IT-induced organisational changes and also inform managers involved in IT-implementation projects