Transformation of daily work practices as a consequence of information technology introduction: The case of medical licensing system

Abstract

The potential of work transformation as a result of Information Technology (IT) introduction has been long recognized by scholars and practitioners in the information system field. However, the relationship between technology and work practices especially in large-scale, i.e. national, is still poorly understood and somewhat understudied. To fill that gap, we extend a conceptual framework in this paper relating to work transformation in modern institutions to develop more insights into the interplay between IT introduction and daily work practice in the healthcare sector on a massive scale. This extension is empirically based on a case study involving the development and implementation of a cloud-based medical licensing system in a developing country. Apart from analyzing the case using five dimensions of work practice transformation including time and space separation, the requirement of new trust system, institutional reflexivity, concerns for deskilling and opportunities for reskilling and empowerment, the paper discusses three additional dimensions which are transformation negotiation, transformation diffusion, and transformation flexibility.