This thesis is a case study research of the implementation of ambient assisted living in Billund Kommune. Ambient assisted living technology is a relevant focus because of the demographic changes which are predicted to affect the service given to elderly. Due to the cause of demographic changes it creates a downward pressure on the eldercare area to increase efficiency. Billund Kommune chose therefore – as the first municipality in Denmark – to implement robot vacuum cleaners in order to reduce the cleaning costs on the eldercare area, and to protect the employees from physical disabilities.
The study has been guided by a research question, which seeks to gain knowledge about what influence technological frames have had on the implementation and use of robot vacuum cleaners. Furthermore the study focuses on what managers can do in order to assure shared frames among the groups.
The study conducts an analysis based on a theoretical framework consisting of sensemaking (Weick, 1995), technological frames (Orlikowski & Gash, 1994) and a practice perspective on the implementation and use (Orlikowski, 2000). The theoretical frame serves as a guideline to analyze the empirical data and making it possible to find patterns and correlations regarding the involved members of the organization. Orlikowski and Gash (1994) have identified managers, users, and technologists, which are three groups in the organizational hierarchy they believe, have a significant influence on implementing technologies. The purpose is to find out if there has been a shared frame among the groups in order to conduct a successful implementation process. In addition to the theoretical framework the thesis is based on a social constructivist approach. There has been conducted several qualitative interviews among different members of the municipality, in order to achieve a comprehensive empirical data collection.
The survey has shown that during the implementation of robot vacuum cleaners, there have been diverse technological frames among the managers, users, and technologists. The diverse technological frames have had an influence on the way the users apply the robot vacuum cleaner in the municipality. Due to the different technological frames the use of robot vacuum cleaners is not consistent in the eldercare area, which means that some of the users are not using the robot vacuum cleaner in their daily handling of jobs. It is believed that inconsistencies among the leaders are one of the reasons why some users are using the “old” vacuum cleaner, even though the municipality is branded as a municipality that only cleans with the robot vacuum cleaner. Even though some users are rejecting to use the robot vacuum cleaner, the majority of the users are using the technology. But it has an influence on the overall implementation and attitudes towards the robot vacuum cleaner.
The thesis also highlights that the technologists have not had a great role in the implementation or use of the vacuum cleaners, because they did not see it as a necessity. However, based on the empirical data, it is suggested that in future implementation processes, the technologists have to play a bigger role because the users expressed the need for training and more IT support.
The second part of the research question focuses on the leadership aspect of the implementation. This part of the thesis has identified the challenges which the leaders are faced with. Based on the findings the thesis lists some managerial points of orientations.