Implementation by cultural infusion: an approach for managing the introduction of information technologies

  • Authors:

  • Omar A. EI Sawy

  • Affiliations:

  • Graduate School of Business Administration, University of Southern California Los Angeles, California

  • Venue:
  • MIS Quarterly
  • Year:
  • 1985

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Abstract

This article describes an approach for managing the introduction of information technologies in organizations which we have called "implementation by cultural infusion." The approach was developed and successfully used in response to the necessity of setting up a low-overhead, high-growth computer services function for a small research organization of about 200 nontechnical users. The article first describes how the organization established the infrastructural mechanisms to make such an implementation method successful. It then describes the concepts and dynamics of the cultural infusion approach to implementing information technologies, how it was used in the organization, what successes and failures were encountered, and what the impacts were after four years. Finally, the possibility of using the cultural infusion approach in larger organizations and different settings is examined.