IT organizations have historically focused on a variety of aspects related to the deployment of information technology (e.g., architecture, applications, integration, networking, infrastructure, security, and operations) with little resources spent on technology adoption. This situation can be overly simplified by saying that IT pretty much concentrates on the plan-build-run phases of the technology lifecycle. Some organizations might append "retire" for the sunsetting aspect of legacy systems (plan-build-run-retire). But few organizations would insert "adopt" into that sequence. I think it's a fair comment to say that organizations equate "run" to "run away" when it comes issues related to the technology literacy and adoption challenges faced by users. People equate adoption to training and training is often one of the first areas cut in terms of budget and resources. But adoption is more than training on the tool, it's about change management and working more effectively. Adoption is about literacy, understanding technology in the context of work and becoming fluent in its use so that the technology becomes part of a user's work style (and potentially their lifestyle as well).
This is not the fault of IT groups. It's the fault of the organization at-large. In many cases, I find that business decision-makers do not have a governance framework that can value technology adoption. So it is rare that I hear about anyone, including IT groups, having a strategic role, budget and resources to participate in the organizational development aspects of applying technology effectively. The norm is to essentially throw it over the wall to training groups or let end users fend for themselves. Some experts feel that such problems will be solved simply by deploying social software (under the banner of Web 2.0, Enterprise 2.0 and such) or that younger workers will come into the workplace with such literacy embedded within their DNA (e.g., "digital natives") having grown up in a world where they communicate via a new collection of tools (e.g., blogs, instant messaging, etc.).
I'm not so sure we should accept the notion that technology literacy exists simply because someone has social software is supposed to be easier to use. And I'm not so sure that younger workers, although familiar with these tools, have the know-how to use the tools effectively in a business context.
My sense is that organizations need to prioritize technology literacy and adoption issues over the next couple of years and closely involve IT organizations in such efforts. 2007 and 2008 will see a wave of new applications and infrastructure platforms coming out from major vendors and the emergence of more socially-oriented tools (e.g., blogs, wikis, RSS, tagging, and social networking). These new platforms do indeed offer powerful new metaphors for people to work differently than previous generations of technology.
But the tipping point, in terms of delivering value back to the enterprise, is shifting from deployment (simply making the technology available) to adoption (making sure that users change behaviors). This is more than simply training on the tools, it's about making sure that users are aware of the capabilities of these tools (i.e., literacy) and are willing to work differently (take risk, explore new ways of thinking, new ways of doing and new ways of interacting).
Adoption helps ensure that users are engaged enough to apply these tools in a productive manner that leads to improved business performance and innovation. That's why I believe technology adoption will become a enterprise-wide mandate for the next two years.
The following articles triggered this train of thought:
Cal State will soon demand technological literacy
The California State University, in conjunction with Educational Testing Service, is putting the final stages on a technological literacy test that gauges students' tech competency. Students would have to pass that test in order to move on to higher-level courses.
Source: Cal State will soon demand technological literacy
Testing for Technology Literacy
Professors, librarians, and other college officials are increasingly coming to grips with the somewhat confounding reality that despite students’ affinity for IPods and their complete comfort with Google, many of them lack the technological literacy they need to navigate today’s information landscape. But recognizing the problem is not the same as knowing how to measure or fix it — tasks that many colleges are puzzling over.
Source: Testing for Technology Literacy
Jobs, News and Views for All of Higher Education - Inside Higher Ed :: Are College Students Techno Idiots?
Susan Metros, a professor of design technology at Ohio State University, says that reading, writing and arithmetic are simply not enough for today’s students. What is important for learners is information: how to find it, how to focus it, and how to filter out nonsense. But for many students, their main source for information is Google, which Metros finds troubling.
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