CASE TOOLS AS ORGANIZATIONAL-CHANGE - INVESTIGATING INCREMENTAL AND RADICAL CHANGES IN SYSTEMS-DEVELOPMENT

This paper presents the findings of an empirical study into two organi zations' experiences with the adoption and use of CASE tools over time . Using a grounded theory research approach, the study characterizes t he organizations' experiences in terms of processes of incremental or radical organizational change. These findings are used to develop a th eoretical framework for conceptualizing the organizational issues arou nd the adoption and use of these tools-issues that have been largely m issing from contemporary discussions of CASE tools. The paper thus has important implications for research and practice, Specifically, the f ramework and findings suggest that in order to account for the experie nces and outcomes associated with CASE tools, researchers should consi der the social context of systems development, the intentions and acti ons of key players, and the implementation process followed by the org anization. Similarly, the paper suggests that practitioners will be be tter able to manage their organizations' experiences with CASE tools i f they understand that such implementations involve a process of organ izational change over time and not merely the installation of a new te chnology.