Change in a socio-technical organization resulting from the implementation of a school management information system: A case study

A school district in Western Pennsylvania was studied to determine if the implementation of a school management information system (SMIS) would create conditions for change in the school system's socio-technical subsystems. The subsystems included a task subsystem, a human subsystem, a technical subsystem, and a structural subsystem. The study was conducted during the redefining/restructuring stage of implementation. This stage of implementation is characterized by changes made to both the innovation and the organization to create a compatible fit between the two. Case study methodology was employed including interviews, document analysis, and observation to determine results. The study was conducted over a four-month period.; Results from the study revealed that implementing an SMIS into a school district created changes in all four of the subsystems. Changes in the structural subsystem included a tightening of the interrelation patterns among the teachers in one elementary school, more awareness of student achievement issues on the part of faculty members, and more collaboration between faculty members when making decisions about grouping students for instruction. Changes in the human subsystem included the hiring of two technicians to support the technology associated with the SMIS and changes in job responsibilities and roles. Changes in the task subsystem included the creation of new processes for recording student grades, taking attendance, and reporting achievement results. Finally, changes that occurred in the technical subsystem included necessary updates to the school's infrastructure and hardware in order to support the various applications that were part of the SMIS.; Analysis of data revealed that a state of disequilibrium occurred within the school district during implementation because the SMIS was perceived as a radical innovation by a large number of the organization's members and because proper safeguards were not put in place to support the implementation process. School administrators would benefit from including operational level personnel such as teachers and secretaries in the development and implementation processes in order to reduce uncertainty and to maximize the utilization of the SMIS.