Apr. 16 Technology Enactment; Culture

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Apr. 16 Technology Enactment Culture

• Note This chapter gets to the root of
  Fountains argumentso its probably the most
  important one in the book. (I recommend you gloss
  over the first section Perspectives on
  Technology and Structure as I dont find it very
  helpful.) But take special care to understand her
  arguments in the chapter and to think about the
  significance of the technology enactment argument
  for public management in this information age.
• Technology ?---? Organization Structure and
  Norms (also see figure 6-1)
• Right arrow implies that the introduction of a
  new technology changes the org. (presumably for
  the better)
• Left arrow implies that the org. bends the
  technology to suit its existing status
• Which is more typically expected? A surprise?
  (re. Fountains idea of reversing the causal
  arrow (p. 88).
• Could the double arrow (shown above) be
  accurate? How so?
• If enactment can be defined as selective
  attention (as Fountain suggests), which arrow is
  more appropriate (left or right)?
• Questions Have you (or your office) ever bent
  (that is, enacted) technology?that is, used in
  selectively or in a different way than it was
  intended to be used. Explain.
• Can/should managers proposing or designing a
  system anticipate how new technology might be
  enacted?
• Should managers take punitive actions against
  those who bend or misuse technology (that is,
  use it in ways other than those intended)? Should
  managers encourage those practices?
• Explain enactment in terms of the Selznick TVA
  example
• Virtual Agencyprecisely what does Fountain mean
  by this term?
• Explain/describe the four different enactments of
  the Internet and related technologies (refer to
  figure 6-2describe in relation to the vertical
  and horizontal axes).
• In brief, summaries the obstacles typical
  government agencies (or bureaucracies) face in
  any or all of the enactments of the virtual
  agency.

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Apr. 16 Technology Enactment Culture

• From Wilson, Ch. 6
• Whats organization culture how does it relate
  to bureaucratic reasoning (satisficing),
  embeddedness, and enactment?
• How is the section on multiple cultures
  pertinent to the fourth type of info. Tech.
  enactment in figure 6-2?
• the section Resisting New tasks to the general
  issue of technology enactment?
• Question Can a new manager change or culture?
  Engender a different sense of mission? Implement
  a new information technology system in the manner
  it was intended?