Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-2007
Abstract
Why, when one business unit is successfully using an IT product, will another business unit reject or block its deployment when they have the same or similar business needs? Sales practitioners involved in making sense of these situations, centered on the assimilation of complex software innovations, lack the descriptive tools and language for methodically formulating approaches to overcome such obstacles. Insights have been offered by theories such as Diffusion of Innovation (Rogers, 1995), Technological Frames (Orlikowski & Gash, 1994), and Actor-Network Theory (Callon & Latour, 1981; Law, 1987). Various authors (Fichman, 1992; Lamb, 2003; Letch & Perth, 2001; Silver, Markus, & Beath, 1995) have suggested that a single lens is inadequate for investigating IT innovation in organizational settings. This paper proposed a synthesis of Technological Frames and Actor-Network Theory, combining aspects of both traditions to describe frame dynamics as a Network of Frames. By using elements of Technological Frames and Actor Network Theory we can develop an understanding of relationships and the true 'identity' of an actor (Castells, 1997) in decision making settings, we can begin to see how decisions are made and how they may be influenced, directly or indirectly, through frame altering mechanisms.
Keywords
sales management, technological frames, Actor-Network Theory, information technology, decision making
Rights
© The Author(s). Kelvin Smith Library provides access for non-commercial, personal, or research use only. All other use, including but not limited to commercial or scholarly reproductions, redistribution, publication or transmission, whether by electronic means or otherwise, without prior written permission is strictly prohibited.
Department/Center
Design & Innovation
Recommended Citation
Strolin, Stuart R., "Sales Sense: Improving Communication Through a Network of Frames" (2007). Student Scholarship. 369.
https://commons.case.edu/studentworks/369