In Unit 1, you learned how to analyze a case for socio-technical challenges and issues. We discussed the difference between an MIS approach and a sociotechnical approach to describing a work system. It is common to reduce an adoption problem to a lack of training and a technical mismatch to workflow. This limited view of the work system leads to familiar solutions of more training (because we assume that users do not know how to use the system) and customizing the technology (because the implementers did not involve the users and the system does not meet the users’ needs). However, as you learned this week, there are many more characteristics of a work system if we analyze the work system using a socio-technical approach. Through the socio-technical lens, we quickly see that adoptions are more complex, which is why familiar solutions do not always work. For this assignment, your task is to resolve the adoption issues in the case using a socio-technical approach. You will be working on the same case throughout the course, building and refining your arguments and approaches in each module.
This case describes the failure that occurred in projects that used an MIS approach. In this module’s case analysis, you will analyze the case and propose what to do next. You will need to define the adoption problem, explain socio-technical causes of the problem, and propose an approach to solve the problem. We explored a couple of models that can be used to describe a work system. For this case study analysis, you must use Sittig and Singh’s 8-dimensional socio-technical model to describe the work environment in order to analyze the case.
Case Study
Albert, K., Gupta, N., Mason, T., & Mehta, P. (2005). A Rough Ride at the Theodore Roosevelt Cancer Center. In N. M. Lorenzi, J. S. Ash, J. Einbinder, W.McPhee, L. Einbinder (Eds.), Transforming Health Care through Information (pp. 81-91). New York: Springer. Download Albert et al Case Download Albert et al Case – Alternative Formats
The Analysis
You did this in your group discussion. To review
Use Sittig and Singh’s 8-dimension socio-technical model to identify the socio-technical characteristics in the work system. Your observation notes will be helpful for this part. As you do the analysis, you may want/need to update your characteristics from your observation activity.
Determine how those characteristics interact poorly with each other to cause adoption issues.
Think about what you can change. Remember, a problem is caused by a mismatch of at least two characteristics. So, you may have two items to intervene on.
A socio-technical challenge will related to whether or not the organization’s goals/objectives are being met.
The Case Analysis Report
After you complete your analysis, you will need to write up your case analysis into a report. Your analysis of the work environment must include at least two (2) issues that include characteristics in a social domain. Your case analysis report should demonstrate critical thinking and scholarly investigation, be informed by peer-reviewed literature, and be referenced appropriately.
Report Requirements
You must submit your assignment in MS Word format. You can get a free student license for MS Office at the University of Illinois Webstore.
The case study analysis should be 1,000 words, +/-250 words. References and citations should not be included in the word count.
You must follow APA style rules for your case study analysis, including headings, citations, and references. Reference the APA Publication Manual or Purdue Owl for formatting and style requirements.
Required Assignment Format
The following sections should be Level 1 headings for your case study analysis. You may and probably should have Level 2 headings to organize your arguments within each section of the paper.
Introduction – This is where you describe the background and situation/problem presented in the case. Introduce, in your own words, your argument and the necessary background needed to argue your case.
Results/Analysis – This is where you narrate the findings of your analysis and describe how you made your decision about what to analyze. Write up your analysis of the case, using section headers and supportive references as appropriate. This case study analysis could include characteristics of each of the eight dimensions of Sittig and Singh’s new sociotechnical model. (E.g., a description of the users, some of their characteristics that impact the project, and how you decided those characteristics were important.) Your results must include characteristics from the social and technical components of the model. If the case does not include any information for a dimension, propose what data you would like to collect for that dimension.
Discussion – Discuss the interpretation of your results and analysis. For this case study analysis, you might discuss how the dimensions’ characteristics did or did not match to create success or failure. In this section, you should discuss how the characteristics of the work system interact with each other to create the problem. Finally, one of the sections in your discussion should provide specific suggestions to solve the problem that you identified. Your solution should be specific. For example, it is not enough to say training is needed. You need to identify what skills the users need training for and should have provided proof in the results (a characteristic) that the skills are lacking from your evidence and analysis. Use Level 2 headings to organize your points for a stronger argument.
Conclusion – Summarize your findings in this section.
Tips for Conducting an Analysis
What is the work system?
Keep it focused. Use Sittig and Singh’s model to describe the work environment for the case. Use information from the case to
Make your decision about what to analyze
This is the data you find. If you think back to the practice case, this section is a summary of the observations and quotations that you would categorize as Social or Technical and classify into one of the eight (8) dimensions in the model and summarize the themes (e.g., peer communication disruption, mental calculations) that emerge.
Identify the Problems in the Case
What problems do you observe in the case? Are users resisting the adoption of the technology? Is the technology not performing its stated task? Are the users not using the technology for its intended purpose? Is the technology causing disruptions?
Use the Framework to Find the Cause of Problems
It is not enough to figure out what is going wrong in the case and fix it. Just like a physician needs to make sure they treat the disease and not the symptom, we can not assume that problem you see is the problem that needs to be fixed. For instance, a doctor can fix a cough, but it would be better to run tests to figure out what’s causing the cough. This is where frameworks and models come in. Use the framework to figure out how the work environment is causing the problem. Review the 8 dimensions of Sittig and Singh outlined in Table 1 that make up a health care environment. You identified the characteristics of these dimensions in your observation notes. They should include attributes like:
Hardware and software computing infrastructure dimension refers to equipment and software used to power, support, and operate clinical applications and devices.
Clinical content dimension refers to textual or numeric data and images that constitute clinical applications’ “language.”
The human-computer interface dimension includes all aspects of the computer that users can see, touch, or hear as they interact with it.
People dimension refers to everyone who interacts in some way with the system, from developer to end user, including potential patient-users.
The workflow and communication dimension is the processes or steps involved in ensuring that patient care tasks are carried out effectively.
Internal organizational features dimension is policies, procedures, and culture.
External rules and regulations may facilitate or constrain many aspects of the preceding dimensions.
Measurement and monitoring dimension refers to the process of measuring and evaluating both intended and unintended consequences of HIT implementation and use.
Things to think about for your analysis:
Identify which of the 8 dimensions of the Sittig and Singh model seems most appropriate to the situation/problem as presented in the case. What attributes of the dimensions are interacting to cause the problems?
Thinking about the 8 dimensions, for which dimensions do you find the most evidence in the case? Those are the dimensions you should investigate further for your case analysis. These are the “need to know” attributes in your table.
If the case has a lot of quantitative evidence, to which of the 8 dimensions is the evidence most relevant? If you cannot see an immediate connection, propose one that seems reasonable to explain the situation. Work up as much relevant, high-value quantitative evidence as you can.
If there are conflicts between individuals or groups in the case, think about why that is. Build your analysis from the point of view of each of the parties to the conflict.
If one or more active participants in the event is/are in a difficult position concerning the situation, consider why that is in your analysis.
Interpret the Results
This should be your Discussion. You found strong evidence that users had to perform mental calculations (which you would have presented in the previous section). How does that affect the other dimensions in the model’s work environment?
Who or what is the subject or stakeholder of the problem (e.g., a manager)? What is the Issue? What is the significance of the issue to the subject? Who is responsible for the issue and what might s/he need to know to do something about it? Make sure you know the problem that needs to be diagnosed. Consider whether the characteristics of the problem suggest causes.
Your analysis should have answered some of these questions that you would include in the discussion.
Defend your decision about what you analyzed and summarize your findings
This is your conclusion. Consider the following when you write your conclusion.
Among the dimensions you have selected so far that you felt were in greatest evidence in the case, which dimension(s) do you feel is (are) most likely the major cause(s) of the problems?
Provide a detailed explanation of why you made this selection to the exclusion of others. Defend your choice. What stands out in the case to make you feel as you do?
Source: Adapted from Ellet, W. (2007). How to analyze a case. Excerpted from The Case Study Handbook: How to Read, Discuss, and Write Persuasively About Cases. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing.
