| dc.description.abstract | Onboarding new technology systems can be a difficult venture for individuals and
organizations to accomplish. Many new data systems fail when implemented for a variety of
reasons. Most research on the topic of technology acceptance have focused on individual factors
on why a person uses technology, and there are a variety of theories to explain the variance of
technology use. The purpose of this dissertation was to use a mixed method approach to examine
how community organizations can benefit from using a Positive Deviance approach to
technology onboarding. Many organizations onboard new technologies and adapt their
workflows with minimal issues, while some struggle greatly with the same process. The
quantitative and qualitative approaches outlined below are attempts to understand why this
variation exists, and how to emphasize the strengths of the organizations that successfully
implement technology.
A mixed-methods approach was used to answer two research questions: first, what major
organizational cultural differences exist between organizations that utilize IRIS versus those that
do not? And second, in organizations that utilize IRIS effectively, what aspects of organizational
culture do staff perceive? While the quantitative results from the first research question yielded
no significant differences between engaged and non-engaged organizations, the qualitative
themes that emerged from the interviews are rich with recommendations for discerning what
organizations can be fertile soil for implementation of the system. Participants identified four
major themes that can direct the growth of the IRIS network: Person-centered, Community
Partnerships, Growth Mindset, and Flexibility. | |
