Diffusion of E-mail: An organisational learning perspective

The way in which organisation members learn to exploit E-mail for political manipulation is explored, based on a case study which describes the introduction of E-mails to a university community.

Abstract

Current research has gone beyond technical aspects to consider the social effects of E-mail on organisations. This paper follows the trend by considering organisational learning aspects. In particular, the paper explores the way in which organisation members learn to exploit E-mail for political manipulation. The paper is based on a case study which describes the introduction of E-mail to a university community. The case study demonstrates that despite heavy investment in the project, initial enthusiasm, and top management support, some employees chose to use E-mail to stage a rebellion against top management. This was eventually followed by management curtailing users' access to E-mail. The discussion focuses on how organisational learning concepts can explain the case events, concluding with theoretical and practical implications.