Consequences of mandated usage of innovations in organizations: developing an innovation decision model of symbolic and forced adoption

In organizations, mandated adoption contexts are the rule rather than the exception. Individuals, who are denied the choice between adopting and rejecting an innovation, are more likely to engage in opposition behavior, particularly if the innovation conflicts with their held beliefs. Interestingly, neither the construct of forced adoption nor its consequences have received much research attention. To address this gap, we conduct a systematic literature review and provide theoretical rationales for the emergence of innovation resistance and opposition behaviors in organizations. We then develop an innovation decision model of individual adoption behavior that localizes negative outcomes of the secondary adoption process along the different process stages, providing insights into their emergence and potential consequences for the organization. Furthermore, we identify important avenues for future research and show how our innovation decision model can be used to advance theory development on forced adoption.

The Mandated Adoption and Implementation of an Academic Information System: Empirical Evidence from an Indonesian University

Under the scenario of contingent authority innovation-decision, organisation managers make the initial decision to adopt an innovation and mandate its use to the employees. Although accelerating adoption by the employees, the ensuing stages of implementation are often problematic partly due to its non-voluntary nature. Utilising an interpretive case study, this research aimed to explore the nature of the mandated adoption and implementation of an Academic Information System (AIS) for academics in an Indonesian University. Gallivan’s (2001b) framework for innovation adoption and implementation was modified and then applied as a lens to investigate the case. The results indicated that the mediating factors (i.e., managerial interventions, subjective norms, and facilitating conditions) played a vital role in reducing the resistance resulting from the authoritarian approach to mandating usage. Based on the findings, contributions were made by extending the existing framework and providing insights for the university executives regarding the pre- and post- implementation managerial interventions.