An Improvisational Model for Change Management: The Case of Groupware Technologies

An alternative model for managing technological change may enable organizations to take advantage of the evolving capabilities, emerging practices, and unanticipated outcomes associated with the use of new technologies. The improvisational model for managing technological change is based on research on the implementation and use of open-ended information technologies. The model recognizes 3 different types of change: anticipated, emergent and opportunity-based. The case of a top-50 software company in the US is studied to illustrate that when an organization is open to the capabilities offered by a new technological platform and willing to embrace an improvisational change model, it can achieve innovative organizational changes. The customer service department of the company purchased Lotus Notes groupware technology within which it developed a new incident tracking support system (ITSS). ITSS was successfully deployed throughout the department.