One of the difficulties with implementing new IT systems is getting people to use them in the manner intended. There are many horror stories of expensive IT investments that are never fully incorporated into daily organizational life.

Does the introduction of technology automatically change behaviour? Our experience says that this does not happen. In the worst case the new technology reinforces the habits and attitudes already present. (See the example in the box.) Organizations need to do more than simply change the IT equipment and systems available if they want to experience a radical shift in behaviour. A culture change may be required to create the shifts in information sharing required, because the introduction of new IT systems alone will not achieve this, suggests Davenport (1994). He says, ‘It shouldn’t surprise anyone that human nature can throw a wrench into the best-laid IT plans, yet technocrats are constantly caught off-guard by the “irrational” behaviour of “end-users”’. He says that what is important is how people use information, not how they use technology.

Perhaps we need to forget about technology for the moment, and look at existing information sharing habits and develop some goals for behaviour change. But what are the rules governing information sharing behaviour? Davenport states the information facts of life:

IT systems such as Lotus Notes and other forms of groupware are often readily taken up by employees because of the range of ways of sharing information offered. However, people need to have time to explore and learn about the possibilities of these systems so that they can make best use of them. E-mail is now taken for granted, but also has downsides such as ‘non-information overload’ rather than information overload. Non-relevant e-mails take time to scan, process and delete. It is almost too easy to share information via e-mail, and people will do it for their own reasons (such as covering their backs, making themselves look good, bringing network power into play and making others look bad) rather than for the benefit of the recipient.