Dealing with human issues throughout systems implementation: Guidelines from a psychodynamic perspective

• Main Authors: Razavi, A.M., Ahamad, R.
• Format: Conference or Workshop Item
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: T Technology (General)
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/12800/1/rp020_ICIFE2011-C020.pdf; http://eprints.um.edu.my/12800/

This study is devoted to study the nature and the effects of human issues throughout information systems (IS) implementation projects. These issues normally transcribed as resistance, i.e. negative reactions that impact the project success. Moreover the lack of acceptance can interpret as another type of negative reactions as well. Both have been considered here as reactions to the imposing changes, that attempt to revert to the previous stable state. This paper provides an adaptation of individuals and groups' identification processes from a psychodynamic view. The result is used to describe underlying dynamics of organizations (whether in individual or groups level) from a humanistic view that is particularly appropriate for analyzing irrational and/or unconscious phenomena within an organization. These dynamics are assumed to show the current balance of psychic forces and its resulting stability states of the organization and later, used as a source to extract general recommendations and guidelines for practitioners to deal with human issues throughout an implementation project. These recommendations and guidelines presume an extent of resistance-to-be in changing the current identification processes within the organization through introducing the new system, and attempt to minimize their potential side-effects.