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‘Bringing the Covert into the Open’: A Case Study on Technology Appropriation and Continuous Improvement

Author

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  • Michiel Bal

    (Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium)

  • Jos Benders

    (Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
    Department of Industrial Economics and Technology Management, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491 Trondheim, Norway)

  • Lander Vermeerbergen

    (Centre for Sociological Research, KU Leuven, 3000 Leuven, Belgium
    Institute for Management Research, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6525 AJ Nijmegen, The Netherlands)

Abstract

As end-users, employees appropriate technologies. Technology appropriation is generally conceived as a covert phenomenon. In particular, alternative ways and new purposes for which employees deploy technologies tend to remain hidden. Therefore, the potential of technologies as a source of organizational improvements may remain undisclosed. Continuous improvement (CI) programs, in contrast, are explicitly oriented at disclosing organizational improvements. In essence, CI programs encourage employees to openly discuss how to improve their work practices. Such continuous movements towards novel, often better, ways of working may be perfectly suited to bring the covert nature of technology appropriation into the open. Based on a case study on a personal digital assistant (PDA) in a Belgian nursing home with such a CI program in place, we document and analyze to what extent and why functionalities of the PDA were discussed and further developed. We distinguish between the functionalities that, upon implementation, intended to improve particular work practices, and those that surfaced after the technology had been introduced. To conclude, we point at employees’ perceived usefulness of their work practices and their willingness to improve these, rather than only the technology itself, to further the debate on technology appropriation.

Suggested Citation

  • Michiel Bal & Jos Benders & Lander Vermeerbergen, 2022. "‘Bringing the Covert into the Open’: A Case Study on Technology Appropriation and Continuous Improvement," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(10), pages 1-17, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:10:p:6333-:d:821923
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    References listed on IDEAS

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