On the Role of Interpretation Schemes in Organizational IS Implementation

The objective of this study is to clarify how interpretation schemes held by people involved in organizational IS change affect implementation efforts and the outcomes of user participation. It is found that interpretation schemes are dealt with in many ways in IS literature and the approaches are diverse and scattered. Based on the findings, It is asserted that during IS change, not only "tangible" changes are made, but first and foremost changes are needed to occur in the interpretation schemes that give meaning to the phenomena changed. It is also suggested that the outcomes of user participation are mediated by the interpretation schemes of the participants and, consequently, the effects of participation are contingent on the entire social and personal web of interpretations. This means that generalizable causal outcomes of participation cannot be formed and ultimately each case must be studied in context.