Towards a practitioner-centric paradigm of MIS development and organisational knowledge creation in social care organisations

摘要

This study explores the Management Information Systems' (MIS) implementation and utilisation in social care organisations. The aim of this thesis is to study the level of social work practitioners' involvement in MIS selection and implementation and to determine the links between the utilisation of MIS in social care organisations and the creation of organisational knowledge. Thus, the thesis endeavours to increase understanding of the importance of MIS implementation for personnel and organisations, to capture its meaning and any implications this may have for organisational knowledge and social work practice. To further this aim, a two case-study design was developed and carried out in two social care organisations in England. Semi-structured interviews and direct observation were used as data collection tools. Interviews with open-ended questions were carried out with practitioners, team managers, senior managers and staff responsible for Information Technology applications and programmes. Data analysis was carried out utilising two key methods, within-case and cross-case analysis. The purpose of the analysis was to illustrate the participants' experiences within five main themes: Practitioners' and Team Managers' Feelings about the new MIS' Implementation, Participation, Management Information System, Social Work Practice, and Organisation and Organisational Knowledge. The research findings highlighted that social care organisations need radical shifts in organisational philosophy in order to achieve functioning MIS, and more importantly, to become ‘learning organizations' that capture and disseminate social work practice knowledge and skills. For example, practitioners' participation in MIS implementation was recognised as a key factor, which determined both MIS implementation and organisational knowledge creation in a social care organisation. The qualitative data gathered also revealed that there were constraints in engaging practitioners with organisational procedures and in make them feel valued. The thesis, based on the research findings, concludes with the proposal of two models for MIS implementation and organisational knowledge creation.