THE WORK OF IT SYSTEM DEVELOPERS IN CONTEXT - AN ORGANIZATIONAL CASE-STUDY

The HCI community has become increasingly interested in analyzing the organizational context of systems design (e.g., Curtis, Krasner, & Isc oe, 1988). Previous work has focused on product development organizati ons in identifying organizational constraints on the work of system de signers (Grudin, 1991b). This case study focuses on the working practi ces of internal system developers as they both developed a new IT syst em for the organization and managed the concomitant process of change. Here the organizational context tin terms of shared beliefs, politics and inter-and intragroup relations) is seen as informing both the man ner in which the project was conducted and, to some extent, the custom ization of the product. The role of internal system developers as orga nizational change agents is highlighted, with emphasis on their image management and political strategies in effecting change.