1. Beyond User Participation: A Model of Learning and Negotiation During Systems Development
The Workshop on "Redefining the Organizational Roles of Information Technology in the Information Age"
The University of Oklahoma
May 18-19, 2000
Ann Majchrzak, USC & Cynthia Beath, UT Austin

2. What Motivated Us Conundrums in Existing Research.
Inconsistent links between participation and success
Participation doesn’t necessarily engender involvement
What is it about participation that must be achieved for success to occur: Influence? Instrumental voice? Learning? Negotiated outcomes?
Who influences whom?

3. Why is this important? JAD sessions are not always productive
In information age, innovation in business and ISD is required throughout development life cycle; but how to do it efficiently and effectively?
Internet development firms are increasingly moving to weekly customer-developer workshops: what works and what doesn’t?

4. Contribution
Not all participative activity leads to project success. Just those activities that yield collaborative learning through:
collaborative elaboration
cooperative accountability
integrative bargaining

5. Cognitive Elaboration in ISD Projects
Before scenario – using prototype to demonstrate cool new system and to seek “feedback” (actually, praise)
After scenario – using prototype with cognitive elaboration: ask why, translate terms; represent knowledge in many ways; explore alternative concepts; listen not lecture

6. Cooperative Accountability in ISD Projects
Before Scenario:
User provides input to team, is not on the team
Project tasks such as learning not meaningful to users
After Scenario:
All stakeholders on team
Team-based rewards for ISD success, including implementation
Everyone required to help each other learn, including knowing preferences and alternatives

7. Integrative Bargaining in ISD Projects
Before: Distributive Bargaining
Threats, power, deception
After: Integrative Bargaining
Why why why why why why why
Considering alternatives and their values
Building on established principles

8. Propositions
P1: A new body of knowledge that is collaboratively learned by project stakeholders mediates the Participation-to-Outcomes relationship.

9. How to change this process Competitive Environment
Business
Process
Analysis methods
How to change this process
Business Process,
use context,
environment, etc.
New Body of Knowledge:
-Vision of IT-enabled
to-be business process
-Design rationale
-Execution plan
IS Development
Design Methods
Competitive Environment
Development
methods
Tech Solution
Vendors
Solution #1
Solution #3
Solution #2

10. Propositions (cont)
P2: Learning is enhanced if learning events are structured to enable:
- cognitive elaboration
- cooperative accountability
- integrative bargaining

11. A Model of Participation, Collaborative Learning and Outcomes
Participation Opportunities for all Stakeholders
Collaborative Learning Opportunities
Structure of Learning Events P2
Stakeholder Learning P1
Successful Transformation of the Business Process

12. Propositions (cont) P3: Certain contingencies hold:
Stakeholders must be motivated to participate
Stakeholders or consultants must have requisite knowledge for innovation
Stakeholders must be authorized to implement decisions based on learning
Problem must require innovation (to require learning)

13. Figure 2. A Model of Participation, Collaborative Learning and Outcomes
Stakeholder Motivation & knowledge to Contribute
Participation Opportunities for all Stakeholders P3
Collaborative Learning Opportunities
Structure of Learning Events P2
Stakeholder Learning P1
Complex Design Requirements P3 P3
Successful Transformation of the Business Process
Stakeholder Authority to Implement Decisions

14. Agenda for Research Research Questions Research Design
Is participation alone sufficient to explain success or must learning occur?
What kind of learning - requirements, IS goals, client goals, deployment, development?
When must learning take place?
Is learning only more likely with collaborative learning events?
Research Design
Data collection at event level, throughout project as well as at beginning and end, via web surveys, on all parts of model
Data collected for all stakeholders, using same measures
Data analyzed by project

15. Problem Areas/Issues Efficiency
Least effort way to run the learning process?
What's the minimum amount that needs to be learned?
How to document learning unobtrusively?
Have we fully exploited theories of learning?
Body of knowledge: what's in the shared area?
Operationalization of "accumulation of body of knowledge"?
Intensive vs extensive tradeoffs?
Other boundary conditions of model?
Which stakeholders should participate and which shouldn't?

16. Questions?