Central agencies in the diffusion and design of technology: A comparison of the UK and Sweden

This paper compares the adoption and design of Computer-Aided Production Ma nagement (CAPM) technologies in Sweden and the UK and examines the influenc e of technology suppliers and Professional Associations (PAs) as central ag encies in shaping this diffusion process. Members of professional operation s management associations in each country were surveyed and interviews were carried out with key stakeholders. These revealed differences in diffusion patterns with earlier adoption of standardized packaged solutions in the U K and a stronger reliance on in-house customized systems in Sweden. An expl anation for this is that highly codified and portable nations of 'best prac tice' have been promoted more strongly both by technology suppliers and PAs in the UK than in Sweden. The paper suggests that objectified forms of kno wledge communication and fashion setting have dominated diffusion and desig n processes more heavily in the UK than in Sweden. This may be problematic because objectified notions of 'best practice' under-emphasize the context- sensitivity of the technology and the need for organizational redesign. It is argued that the observed differences in the patterns of diffusion requir e an explanation at the level of societal effects.