User Responses to New System Implementation : A Bricolage Perspective

Information systems (IS) research has examined a broad range of factors influencing the effective adoption of information technology (IT). However, so far, much remains to be done with respect to the exact role played by socio-emotional processes and their influence on IT adoption in the workplace. Relying on the concept of bricolage - first introduced by Lévi-Strauss (1966) and leveraged by Claudio Ciborra in IS research - we use the metaphors of bricoleurs and engineers to better understand individual users’ reactions to a newly implemented system. Thirty interviews were conducted with workers from a French insurance company that recently implemented a collaborative web platform, based on the Google Apps service from Google Inc. A key finding is that bricolage is still manifesting even when specific resources such as training and communication are provided. Furthermore, the bricolage lens helps to better understand how individuals adapt to technological change.