A qualitative analysis of geographic information system utilization among early adopter airports.

摘要

The study of the diffusion of innovations is perhaps one of the most widely researched and best-documented social phenomena across all academic disciplines. Diffusion research has principally focused on the adoption process or on the characteristics that separate early adopters from late adopters of a particular innovation. Each of those perspectives contains a deterministic overtone that adoption is both inevitable and desirable. While innovations are introduced into organizations to create change, very little empirical research has been published that examines actual changes that occur within an organization following implementation of the innovation.; The innovation that provides the focus of this study is geographic information systems (GIS). A qualitative study of the consequences of GIS implementation among early adopter U.S. airports was conducted in early 2001. Telephone interviews of ninety-eight United States commercial service airports discovered 34 airports that have implemented a GIS as of December 31, 2000. Airports that rely exclusively on independent contractors or other outside agencies to provide GIS-related products are not included in the list of GIS users for the purpose of this research.; This study examines four questions: (1) has the implementation of GIS at airports changed the manner in which daily operational tasks and strategic decision-making are undertaken? (2) Has the implementation of GIS at airports directly created or eliminated jobs at airports? (3) Has the implementation of GIS at airports changed the nature of relations between airports and the residents in nearby communities? and (4) Has the implementation of GIS at airports changed the nature of the relations between airports and their primary customers?; This study discovered that GIS is in the early stages of diffusion at airports but that consequences are already discernible. Managers quickly learn that GIS offers a greater depth of information for making decisions. The average airport uses existing personnel to fill GIS duties rather than hiring new personnel. The relationships between the airports and the local community and the airport and its customers show changes associated with the ability of airports to present accurate data in a visual format.; Non-adopter airports in this study predominantly point to cost, time, and trained personnel as the factors influencing their decision not to implement GIS at this time. Even if federal matching funds become available, several smaller airports in this study indicate the size of an airport's operations may not justify a GIS.