Modifications and innovations to technology artifacts

Abstract

1 We thank members of DELTA for their participation in the project. We also would like to acknowledge comments received by two anonymous reviewers that helped us improve the quality of the paper. 2 MODIFICATIONS AND INNOVATIONS TO TECHNOLOGY ARTIFACTS ABSTRACTWhat happens to a technology artifact after it is adopted? It has to evolve within its particular context to be effective; if it doesn't, it will become part of the detritus of change, like the many genes without a discernible function in a living organism. In this paper, we report on a study of post-adoption technology behavior that examined how users modified and innovated with technology artifacts. We uncovered three types of changes conducted to technology artifacts:personalization, customization, and inventions. Personalization attempts are modifications involving changes to technology parameters to meet the specificities of the user; customizing attempts occur to adapt the technology parameters to meet the specificities of the user's environment; and inventions are exaptations conducted to the technology artifact. The paper presents a grounded theoretic analysis of the post-adoption evolution based in-depth interviews with 20 software engineers in one multi-national organization. We identify a life-cycle model that connects the various types of modifications conducted to technology artifacts. The life-cycle model elaborates on how individual and organizational dynamics are linked to diffusion of innovations.While the research is still in progress and the post-adoption evolution model has to be refined, the research has significant value in understanding the full life-cycle of adoption of technological artifacts and how is maximum value derived from them.3

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