Implementation as a form of institutional innovation: theory development from empirical investigations of eight IT projects

The paper deals with two related studies of IT implementation. The action research component involved the setting up of 'creativity club' workshops to support implementation of IT projects in four organizations. The dynamics of these clubs are examined within an interpretive paradigm. The second component collected data on the wider implementation characteristics of the four projects and those of a 'matched' set of projects in four additional organizations. It is proposed that the studies support a reconceptualisation of implementation as a form of institutional innovation, within which creativity can be regarded as a process of meaning creation and social learning.