The article addresses the lack of focus, in the literature on work and technology, on the role pl... more The article addresses the lack of focus, in the literature on work and technology, on the role played by communities of practice (CoPs) in mediating the impacts of technology change on work. It is argued that the particular characteristics of CoPs, the fact that they are regarded as an end in themselves by community members, make them a key part of the technology organisation dialectic. By examining the role played by CoPs, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the relationship between work and technology - in particular the unintended consequences of technology change for work and, indeed, for CoPs themselves.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies on benefits realisation (BR), to contribute to the literature on BR as a dynamic capability (DC) within the context of IT-enabled innovation in a public sector context and to highlight the challenges facing organisations if they adopt a BR competence and capability framework. Design/methodology/approach The empirical research conducted within this paper is an exploratory survey. Exploratory surveys are particularly useful when investigating a little known phenomenon and can help to uncover or provide preliminary evidence of association among concepts. This survey was a census of all National Health Service acute hospital trusts in England. Findings The study indicates that most hospitals that participated in the survey have a basic approach to BR and have yet to develop a more mature approach that would provide the strong micro-foundations of a BR capability. Research limitations/implic...
The article addresses the lack of focus, in the literature on work and communications technology,... more The article addresses the lack of focus, in the literature on work and communications technology, on the role played by communities of practice (CoPs) in mediating the impacts of technology change on work. It is argued that the particular characteristics of CoPs, the fact that they are regarded as an end in themselves by community members, make them a key part of the technology-organisation dialectic. By examining the role played by CoPs, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the relationship between work and technology - in particular the unintended consequences of technology change for work and, indeed, for CoPs themselves.
The context for this research is the continued difficulties associated with realising benefits of... more The context for this research is the continued difficulties associated with realising benefits of IT in the NHS which, according to the National Audit Office (NAO), has failed to deliver two thirds of forecast benefits of a 10Bn pound national IT project. Benefits Realisation (BR) is an evaluation method used by NHS organisations to plan, deliver and measure benefits of IT. Developed as both a standalone enterprise and as a work package incorporated within Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) and Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE) BR is a recognised approach for informatics projects within the NHS. The concern is whether the existing approach to BR delivers meaningful benefits which adequately meet the needs of patients and staff. BR is identified in the academic literature as both a concept and a framework intended to ensure that an organisation realises the benefits it expects from an IT investment. The realisation of benefits matters to organisations and society because...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies on benefits realisation (BR), to contribute to the literature on BR as a dynamic capability (DC) within the context of IT-enabled innovation in a public sector context and to highlight the challenges facing organisations if they adopt a BR competence and capability framework.
Design/methodology/approach The empirical research conducted within this paper is an exploratory survey. Exploratory surveys are particularly useful when investigating a little known phenomenon and can help to uncover or provide preliminary evidence of association among concepts. This survey was a census of all National Health Service acute hospital trusts in England.
Findings The study indicates that most hospitals that participated in the survey have a basic approach to BR and have yet to develop a more mature approach that would provide the strong micro-foundations of a BR capability.
Research limitations/implications The BR framework that has been the basis of the survey is interesting in terms of its components but is limited with regards to the micro-foundations of a benefits realisation capability within an organisation. The research suggests that organisations in the public sector need to focus much more on staff development and recruitment in the area of BR to ensure that they have the appropriate skills sets for a rapidly changing environment.
Originality/value The paper proposes a framework for BR capabilities and IT-enabled change, and suggests that although the concept of maturity is valuable when considering the micro-foundations of BR, DCs change and respond to stimuli within the external and internal environment and must be renewed and refreshed regularly.
Benefits realisation (BR) is also a term that is applied within the both the private and public s... more Benefits realisation (BR) is also a term that is applied within the both the private and public sector to try to ensure that IT projects deliver a number of benefits to stakeholders as well as a return on investment. The English NHS views BR as an essential part of their IT enabled transformation programme but whether it is a core organisational capability is not understood. The purpose of this article is to explore whether NHS directors believe a benefits realisation approach to IT investment is a strategic organisational capability within the acute hospital sector.
This paper discusses a conceptual approach to the study of benefits realisation of information sy... more This paper discusses a conceptual approach to the study of benefits realisation of information systems (IS) within the context of the UK National Health Service (NHS). Benefits realisation has become an important topic of study for both academics and practitioners. The focus and concerns of such studies cover a spectrum of concepts ranging from positivist to more interpretive discussion with many prescribing practical methods for effective delivery of benefits from investment in IS. However, much of this work has failed to translate espoused ideals into successful action and insufficient attention has been given to the social and political aspects of the topic. Furthermore, closer inspection of the literature reveals that use of concepts is varied. The purpose of this paper is to review the existing knowledge on benefits realisation of IS, propose a framework that synthesises existing research and suggest what is missing is a critical approach.
Purpose This paper aims to take stock and to increase understanding of the opportunities and thre... more Purpose This paper aims to take stock and to increase understanding of the opportunities and threats for policing in ten European countries in the Political, Economic, Social, Technological and Legal (PESTL) environment. Design/methodology/approach This study is part of the large EU-funded COMPOSITE project into organisational change. A PESTL analysis was executed to produce the environmental scan that will serve as a platform for further research into change management within the police. The findings are based on structured interviews with police officers of 17 different police forces and knowledgeable externals in ten European countries. The sampling strategy was optimized for representativeness under the binding capacity constraints defined by the COMPOSITE research budget. Findings European police forces face a long list of environmental changes that can be grouped in the five PESTL clusters with a common denominator. There is also quite some overlap as to both the importance and nature of the key PESTL trends across the ten counties, suggesting convergence in Europe. Originality/value A study of this magnitude has not been seen before in Europe, which brings new insights to the target population of police forces across Europe. Moreover, policing is an interesting field to study from the perspective of organisational change, featuring a high incidence of change in combination with a wide variety of change challenges, such as those related to identity and leadership.
Purpose This paper aims to take stock and to increase understanding of the opportunities and thre... more Purpose This paper aims to take stock and to increase understanding of the opportunities and threats for policing in ten European countries in the Political, Economic, Social, Technological and Legal (PESTL) environment. Design/methodology/approach This study is part of the large EU-funded COMPOSITE project into organisational change. A PESTL analysis was executed to produce the environmental scan that will serve as a platform for further research into change management within the police. The findings are based on structured interviews with police officers of 17 different police forces and knowledgeable externals in ten European countries. The sampling strategy was optimized for representativeness under the binding capacity constraints defined by the COMPOSITE research budget. Findings European police forces face a long list of environmental changes that can be grouped in the five PESTL clusters with a common denominator. There is also quite some overlap as to both the importance and nature of the key PESTL trends across the ten counties, suggesting convergence in Europe. Originality/value A study of this magnitude has not been seen before in Europe, which brings new insights to the target population of police forces across Europe. Moreover, policing is an interesting field to study from the perspective of organisational change, featuring a high incidence of change in combination with a wide variety of change challenges, such as those related to identity and leadership.
The article addresses the lack of focus, in the literature on work and technology, on the role pl... more The article addresses the lack of focus, in the literature on work and technology, on the role played by communities of practice (CoPs) in mediating the impacts of technology change on work. It is argued that the particular characteristics of CoPs, the fact that they are regarded as an end in themselves by community members, make them a key part of the technology organisation dialectic. By examining the role played by CoPs, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the relationship between work and technology - in particular the unintended consequences of technology change for work and, indeed, for CoPs themselves.
Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies on benefits realisation (BR), to contribute to the literature on BR as a dynamic capability (DC) within the context of IT-enabled innovation in a public sector context and to highlight the challenges facing organisations if they adopt a BR competence and capability framework. Design/methodology/approach The empirical research conducted within this paper is an exploratory survey. Exploratory surveys are particularly useful when investigating a little known phenomenon and can help to uncover or provide preliminary evidence of association among concepts. This survey was a census of all National Health Service acute hospital trusts in England. Findings The study indicates that most hospitals that participated in the survey have a basic approach to BR and have yet to develop a more mature approach that would provide the strong micro-foundations of a BR capability. Research limitations/implic...
The article addresses the lack of focus, in the literature on work and communications technology,... more The article addresses the lack of focus, in the literature on work and communications technology, on the role played by communities of practice (CoPs) in mediating the impacts of technology change on work. It is argued that the particular characteristics of CoPs, the fact that they are regarded as an end in themselves by community members, make them a key part of the technology-organisation dialectic. By examining the role played by CoPs, it is possible to gain a better understanding of the relationship between work and technology - in particular the unintended consequences of technology change for work and, indeed, for CoPs themselves.
The context for this research is the continued difficulties associated with realising benefits of... more The context for this research is the continued difficulties associated with realising benefits of IT in the NHS which, according to the National Audit Office (NAO), has failed to deliver two thirds of forecast benefits of a 10Bn pound national IT project. Benefits Realisation (BR) is an evaluation method used by NHS organisations to plan, deliver and measure benefits of IT. Developed as both a standalone enterprise and as a work package incorporated within Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) and Projects in Controlled Environments (PRINCE) BR is a recognised approach for informatics projects within the NHS. The concern is whether the existing approach to BR delivers meaningful benefits which adequately meet the needs of patients and staff. BR is identified in the academic literature as both a concept and a framework intended to ensure that an organisation realises the benefits it expects from an IT investment. The realisation of benefits matters to organisations and society because...
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies... more Purpose The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies on benefits realisation (BR), to contribute to the literature on BR as a dynamic capability (DC) within the context of IT-enabled innovation in a public sector context and to highlight the challenges facing organisations if they adopt a BR competence and capability framework.
Design/methodology/approach The empirical research conducted within this paper is an exploratory survey. Exploratory surveys are particularly useful when investigating a little known phenomenon and can help to uncover or provide preliminary evidence of association among concepts. This survey was a census of all National Health Service acute hospital trusts in England.
Findings The study indicates that most hospitals that participated in the survey have a basic approach to BR and have yet to develop a more mature approach that would provide the strong micro-foundations of a BR capability.
Research limitations/implications The BR framework that has been the basis of the survey is interesting in terms of its components but is limited with regards to the micro-foundations of a benefits realisation capability within an organisation. The research suggests that organisations in the public sector need to focus much more on staff development and recruitment in the area of BR to ensure that they have the appropriate skills sets for a rapidly changing environment.
Originality/value The paper proposes a framework for BR capabilities and IT-enabled change, and suggests that although the concept of maturity is valuable when considering the micro-foundations of BR, DCs change and respond to stimuli within the external and internal environment and must be renewed and refreshed regularly.
Benefits realisation (BR) is also a term that is applied within the both the private and public s... more Benefits realisation (BR) is also a term that is applied within the both the private and public sector to try to ensure that IT projects deliver a number of benefits to stakeholders as well as a return on investment. The English NHS views BR as an essential part of their IT enabled transformation programme but whether it is a core organisational capability is not understood. The purpose of this article is to explore whether NHS directors believe a benefits realisation approach to IT investment is a strategic organisational capability within the acute hospital sector.
This paper discusses a conceptual approach to the study of benefits realisation of information sy... more This paper discusses a conceptual approach to the study of benefits realisation of information systems (IS) within the context of the UK National Health Service (NHS). Benefits realisation has become an important topic of study for both academics and practitioners. The focus and concerns of such studies cover a spectrum of concepts ranging from positivist to more interpretive discussion with many prescribing practical methods for effective delivery of benefits from investment in IS. However, much of this work has failed to translate espoused ideals into successful action and insufficient attention has been given to the social and political aspects of the topic. Furthermore, closer inspection of the literature reveals that use of concepts is varied. The purpose of this paper is to review the existing knowledge on benefits realisation of IS, propose a framework that synthesises existing research and suggest what is missing is a critical approach.
Purpose This paper aims to take stock and to increase understanding of the opportunities and thre... more Purpose This paper aims to take stock and to increase understanding of the opportunities and threats for policing in ten European countries in the Political, Economic, Social, Technological and Legal (PESTL) environment. Design/methodology/approach This study is part of the large EU-funded COMPOSITE project into organisational change. A PESTL analysis was executed to produce the environmental scan that will serve as a platform for further research into change management within the police. The findings are based on structured interviews with police officers of 17 different police forces and knowledgeable externals in ten European countries. The sampling strategy was optimized for representativeness under the binding capacity constraints defined by the COMPOSITE research budget. Findings European police forces face a long list of environmental changes that can be grouped in the five PESTL clusters with a common denominator. There is also quite some overlap as to both the importance and nature of the key PESTL trends across the ten counties, suggesting convergence in Europe. Originality/value A study of this magnitude has not been seen before in Europe, which brings new insights to the target population of police forces across Europe. Moreover, policing is an interesting field to study from the perspective of organisational change, featuring a high incidence of change in combination with a wide variety of change challenges, such as those related to identity and leadership.
Purpose This paper aims to take stock and to increase understanding of the opportunities and thre... more Purpose This paper aims to take stock and to increase understanding of the opportunities and threats for policing in ten European countries in the Political, Economic, Social, Technological and Legal (PESTL) environment. Design/methodology/approach This study is part of the large EU-funded COMPOSITE project into organisational change. A PESTL analysis was executed to produce the environmental scan that will serve as a platform for further research into change management within the police. The findings are based on structured interviews with police officers of 17 different police forces and knowledgeable externals in ten European countries. The sampling strategy was optimized for representativeness under the binding capacity constraints defined by the COMPOSITE research budget. Findings European police forces face a long list of environmental changes that can be grouped in the five PESTL clusters with a common denominator. There is also quite some overlap as to both the importance and nature of the key PESTL trends across the ten counties, suggesting convergence in Europe. Originality/value A study of this magnitude has not been seen before in Europe, which brings new insights to the target population of police forces across Europe. Moreover, policing is an interesting field to study from the perspective of organisational change, featuring a high incidence of change in combination with a wide variety of change challenges, such as those related to identity and leadership.
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Papers by Rebecca Casey
The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies on benefits realisation (BR), to contribute to the literature on BR as a dynamic capability (DC) within the context of IT-enabled innovation in a public sector context and to highlight the challenges facing organisations if they adopt a BR competence and capability framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical research conducted within this paper is an exploratory survey. Exploratory surveys are particularly useful when investigating a little known phenomenon and can help to uncover or provide preliminary evidence of association among concepts. This survey was a census of all National Health Service acute hospital trusts in England.
Findings
The study indicates that most hospitals that participated in the survey have a basic approach to BR and have yet to develop a more mature approach that would provide the strong micro-foundations of a BR capability.
Research limitations/implications
The BR framework that has been the basis of the survey is interesting in terms of its components but is limited with regards to the micro-foundations of a benefits realisation capability within an organisation. The research suggests that organisations in the public sector need to focus much more on staff development and recruitment in the area of BR to ensure that they have the appropriate skills sets for a rapidly changing environment.
Originality/value
The paper proposes a framework for BR capabilities and IT-enabled change, and suggests that although the concept of maturity is valuable when considering the micro-foundations of BR, DCs change and respond to stimuli within the external and internal environment and must be renewed and refreshed regularly.
The purpose of this paper is to address the call for more public sector empirical studies on benefits realisation (BR), to contribute to the literature on BR as a dynamic capability (DC) within the context of IT-enabled innovation in a public sector context and to highlight the challenges facing organisations if they adopt a BR competence and capability framework.
Design/methodology/approach
The empirical research conducted within this paper is an exploratory survey. Exploratory surveys are particularly useful when investigating a little known phenomenon and can help to uncover or provide preliminary evidence of association among concepts. This survey was a census of all National Health Service acute hospital trusts in England.
Findings
The study indicates that most hospitals that participated in the survey have a basic approach to BR and have yet to develop a more mature approach that would provide the strong micro-foundations of a BR capability.
Research limitations/implications
The BR framework that has been the basis of the survey is interesting in terms of its components but is limited with regards to the micro-foundations of a benefits realisation capability within an organisation. The research suggests that organisations in the public sector need to focus much more on staff development and recruitment in the area of BR to ensure that they have the appropriate skills sets for a rapidly changing environment.
Originality/value
The paper proposes a framework for BR capabilities and IT-enabled change, and suggests that although the concept of maturity is valuable when considering the micro-foundations of BR, DCs change and respond to stimuli within the external and internal environment and must be renewed and refreshed regularly.