A39. Aydin,
C. & Rice, R. E. (1992). Bringing social worlds together: Computers
as catalysts for new interactions in health care organizations. Journal
of Health and Social Behavior, 33(2), 168-185.
In this case study, computer systems are explored as catalysts for
new interactions between departments in health care organizations.
Hypotheses
investigated changes in the extent to which members of different
departments
(1) exchange information and (2) understand each other’s work following
implementation of an integrated medical information system. Analyses
showed
that communication-based forms of involvement in implementation
(communicating
with systems personnel and trainers, communicating about new ways to
use
the system, and receiving support from supervisors for doing so) were
overwhelmingly
more important than either general participation or computer use in
predicting
increases in interdepartmental interaction. Changes in tasks and roles
also led to new, informal, face-to-face contacts to support computer
system
use, as well as greater administrative control over the organization as
a whole. In addition, results of interviews and observations over the
two-year
study period illustrate the importance of work group identification in
predicting changes accompanying computerization.
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