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Change implementers' resistance: considering power and resistance in IT implementation projects

conference contribution
posted on 2023-05-23, 07:11 authored by McKay, J, Marshall, P, Grainger, N, Hirschheim, R
Resistance is normally characterized as a set of behaviours located in and belonging to change recipients. Such behaviours are seen to thwart the legitimate aims of both change strategists and the change agents who implement systems and the associated organisational change on the strategists' behalf. However, results from our case study research indicate that resistance can be a property not only of change recipients’ behaviour, but also of change agents and change strategists. The resistance behaviours identified included the failure to follow a prescribed corporate method and template, a refusal to help or listen, a refusal to fix known problems, the display of an adversarial, confrontational, and/or condescending attitude, subversiveness, a poor work ethic, and a refusal to meet requests. This paper argues for a revised conceptualization of resistance as a behaviour that can be demonstrated by any IT project stakeholders, that cannot be divorced from considerations of power in the IT project context.

History

Publication title

Proceedings of the 23rd Australasian Conference on Information Systems

Editors

J Lamp

Pagination

1-12

ISBN

978-1-74156-172-2

Department/School

School of Information and Communication Technology

Publisher

Deakin University

Place of publication

Melbourne, Vic

Event title

23rd Australasian Conference on Information Systems

Event Venue

Melbourne, Vic

Date of Event (Start Date)

2012-12-03

Date of Event (End Date)

2012-12-05

Rights statement

Copyright 2012 The Authors

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Technological and organisational innovation

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    University Of Tasmania

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