New Technology Introduction and Implementation: The Case of Paging Technology in the Ratlam Division of Indian Railways

Abstract

Concomitant to the liberalisation policy and market reforms in India has been the issue of declining budgetary support for public sector organisations. Hitherto, Indian Railways, the biggest publicly‐owned enterprise, has largely been supported by the exchequer. Since the early 1990s, however, the Railways has had to operate increasingly as a commercial rather than a social organisation. One of the ways of improving efficiency is to introduce efficiency‐enhancing technologies. This paper is a case study of the introduction of paging technology to the Ratlam Division of Indian Railways. It describes the process of planning and implementation, the HRM implications of the adoption and how the process was successfully managed. It aims at shedding further light on the nature and the processes whereby technologies eventually gain company recognition and acceptance.

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