IT Adoption and Usage in Non-Profit Organizations: a Cross-generational Case Study

A gulf has tended to develop between the adoption and usage of information technology by different generations, at the heart of which is different ways of experiencing and relating to the world around us. This research idea is currently being developed following data collection and feedback is sought on ways forward to enable impact. The research focuses on information technology in the form of multimedia. Multimedia meaning ‘media’ and ‘content’ that uses a combination of different content forms; or electronically integrated communication engaging all or most of the senses (e.g. graphic art, sound, animation and full-motion video presented by way of computer or other electronic means) mainly through presentational technologies. Although multimedia is not new, some organization’s particularly those in the non-profit sector do not always have the technical or financial resources to support such systems and consequently may struggle to adopt and support its usage amongst different generations. However non-profit organizations are being forced to pay more attention to the way they communicate with markets and the public due to the professionalism of communication everywhere in society. The case study used for this study is a church circuit comprising of 15 churches in the Midlands region of the United Kingdom which was selected due to the diverse age groups catered for within this type of non-profit organization. Participants in the study also had a range of skills, experiences and backgrounds which adds to the diversity of the population studied. Data gathered focused on the attitudes and opinions of the adoption and use of multimedia amongst different age groups. 395 questionnaires were distributed, comprising of 11 opinion questions and 4 demographic questions. 83% of the questionnaires were returned, representing 35% of the total circuit membership. Three people from each of the following age categories were also interviewed: 1920 – 1946 (Matures); 1947-1964 (Baby Boomers); 1965-1982 (Generation X); 1983-2004 (Net Generation). Results of the questionnaire and comments from the interviews were found not to tally with the widespread assumption that the younger generation is attracted by the use of multimedia in comparison to the older generation. The highest proportion of those who said that they gain more from a service enhanced by multimedia was from the Baby Boomers. Comments from interviews suggested that: ‘we need to embrace multimedia if we are to attract and retain the younger generation’; ‘multimedia often helps children to remain focused and clarifies the objective of the service’. However, because the younger generations’ world tends to be dominated by computer technology the questionnaire showed that they are more likely to have higher standards when it comes to the use of multimedia, such as identifying higher levels of equipment failing to work and annoying use of sounds compared to older age groups. In comparison problems experienced with multimedia for the Matures age group had the highest percentage of difficulty with the size of letters; the colour of letters and background and the sound not loud enough which is to be expected. Since every organization is unique any type of multimedia adopted and used should be specific to their needs, its stakeholders and the physical building in order to enhance that uniqueness and its needs. Giving thought to whether the type of multimedia is the best method for communicating the message to the particular audience alongside how technical and financial resources are best used can assist in accommodating different age groups that need to be catered for.

A Service Model For Delivering Care Closer to Home.

Upton Surgery (Worcestershire) has developed a flexible and responsive service model that facilitates multi-agency support for adult patients with complex care needs experiencing an acute health crisis. The purpose of this service is to provide appropriate interventions that avoid unnecessary hospital admissions or, alternatively, provide support to facilitate early discharge from secondary care. Key aspects of this service are the collaborative and proactive identification of patients at risk, rapid creation and deployment of a reactive multi-agency team and follow-up of patients with an appropriate long-term care plan. A small team of dedicated staff (the Complex Care Team) are pivotal to coordinating and delivering this service. Key skills are sophisticated leadership and project management skills, and these have been used sensitively to challenge some traditional roles and boundaries in the interests of providing effective, holistic care for the patient. This is a practical example of early implementation of the principles underlying the Department of Health’s (DH) recent Best Practice Guidance, ‘Delivering Care Closer to Home’ (DH, July 2008) and may provide useful learning points for other general practice surgeries considering implementing similar models. This integrated case management approach has had enthusiastic endorsement from patients and carers. In addition to the enhanced quality of care and experience for the patient, this approach has delivered value for money. Secondary care costs have been reduced by preventing admissions and also by reducing excess bed-days. The savings achieved have justified the ongoing commitment to the service and the staff employed in the Complex Care Team. The success of this service model has been endorsed recently by the ‘Customer Care’ award by ‘Management in Practice’. The Surgery was also awarded the ‘Practice of the Year’ award for this and a number of other customer-focussed projects.

Exploring Service Innovation Practices Through a Longitudinal Ethnographic Case Study

Case study research has the advantage of investigating issues that are embedded within the context of the case. A novel approach to investigation of the implementation of service innovation process has been adopted through a longitudinal ethnographic case study. This approach was found useful, as the outcome of the study was intended to be an in-depth understanding of firm’s current innovation practices and its consequences with the implementation of a novel business process. In this applied research, an array of longitudinal data was generated chiefly through the technique of participant-observation. Participant-observation as a qualitative or naturalistic method has its roots in ethnographic research. Participant-observation involves “participating in the social world, in whatever role, and reflecting on the products of that participation” (Hammersley & Atkinson, 1983, p.16). This method offers a degree of understanding of the context under study that can come only from personal experience. In this presentation, I discuss the role of the researcher-practitioner as participant-observer and the usefulness of ethnographic case study methodology and participant-observation technique to investigating service innovation practices that are embedded within the context-specific setting of the case.