Development of Trust During Large Scale System Implementation

Abstract

Implementations of information systems are complex and problematic with a reputation for being delayed and exceeding budget. A critical factor in implementations is trust in the system, trust in the project and trust between the various stakeholders. This case charts the evolution of trust in the implementation of the Faroese integrated healthcare system and shows how trust relations at various points in the project became difficult, what the causes and consequences of these trust difficulties were, and how they were successfully resolved in the project.

Decoupling, re‐engaging: managing trust relationships in implementation projects

“…The IHIS was fully implemented in two wards in 2009 and the majority of GPs also adopted the system. An events synopsis of the case is given in and a full account in Schlichter (2010).…”

“…In a large‐scale implementation of an IHIS in the Faroe Islands, trust was identified as a major contributor to the successes and failures of the project. The levels of trust between stakeholders and between various participating organisations could be seen to vary considerably over the 5‐year period of study (Schlichter, 2010). The causes of trust fluctuations were complex, but it became clear that lack of trust in the project had serious adverse consequences: relationships became strained, cooperative work suffered, project members became distressed, employees resigned and expertise was lost.…”

Value Creation from Public Healthcare IS

“…In 2005, the FHS began the implementation of an integrated HIS covering hospitals and GPs. The project faced many problems during its first years, even to the point that discussions were held considering the termination of the project, particularly due to the high costs that had been incurred (financial as well as personal) and doubts regarding the value realization [29]. However, the project continued and 530 healthcare professionals are currently using the HIS, which covers all areas of the hospitals and GPs.…”

Recovering From Trust Breakdowns In Large System Implementations

“…This means that trust levels can vary (trust can break down and be restored), and that individual actors can have different trust levels at the same time (Schlichter 2010) or  as trust in an organizational system (Lowe and Locke 2008).…”

“…The presence of trust is widely understood as a critical success factor (CSF: Bullen & Rockart, 1981) for the achievement of the successful implementation of information systems (Somers & Nelson, 2001;Akkermans & Helden, 2002;Sun et al, 2005;Schlichter, 2010).…”