Resistance to Information Systems - A Conceptual Framework

There exist different views of user resistanceconcept that would have to be constructed and
and multi-level views which attempt to incorporateargued logically. This would not diminish the validity
organisational constraints and demographicsof the concept since inertia is a subjective way of
(Venkatesh et al. 2003). One can view resistanceframing the impediments to technological change.
as an amalgam of social, technical andIn his assessment of technology acceptance
organisational factors that prevent the desiredamong customers in the bank sector, Vijayan
outcome of technology intervention. Unlike(2003) used the theory of planned behaviour,
resistance models that are limited to usertheory of reasoned action and the technology
resistance, the conceptual definition of resistanceacceptance model to examine consumer adoption
employed in this article is more difficult toof multimedia. The Unified Theory of Acceptance
deconstruct. The construct that would be usedand Use of Technology by Venkatesh et al.
would be that of non-acceptance combined with(2003) was identified as a more robust adaptation
non-usage.of the Technology Acceptance Model proposed
Adapting some of the operational definitions ofby Fred Davis. The utility of the UTAUT model
user resistance and the notion of infrastructurearises from the fact that it can apply to different
from Ciborra (2001), this article examinesstakeholders in an organisation- particularly,
observable features like usage of informationcustomers and employees.
systems, technical compatibility of newlyThe Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of
introduced modules and compatibility of old andTechnology would be embedded within Ciborra's
new systems with existing procedures, legal andconcept of information technology as a model
cultural frameworks. Cultural frameworks can bethat addresses the socio-technical interaction
constructed using an organisation's history,inherent in an information system. The redefinition
documented responses to previous technologyof the user in extant resistance models would
interventions and observation.take the form of the social actor (Lamb and Kling
The ontological assumption about the information2003). The social actor concept would be used
system is that it is an objective reality that issince one actor invariably would interact with
shaped by social actors and organisationalmany systems.
circumstances. This assumption that there is anWhile the UTAUT model would be the central lens
objective quality in information systems (Bhaskar,through which one can design the data collection
1989) is what drives the embellished view ofstrategy and analyse the findings, the supporting
resistance. This is where the population ecologists'concepts like the structural inertia and information
view of structural inertia has its ontological basistechnology infrastructure would address all other
and why it is included in this non-acceptanceaspects of the information systems sphere.
context. Social actors do not always determineResearch in this sphere can then determine if
the success or failure of technologythere is a relationship among actor acceptance,
implementation initiatives. Borrowing from thedemographics and culture.
sociological concept of constructivism, inertia is a