Gaining social values of wireless technology: An interpretive case study in the healthcare institutional context

The existing literature has given little consideration to social values of information technology in general or of wireless technology in particular. The purpose of this paper is therefore to shed new light on this issue. Based on an interpretive case study, we examine two healthcare organisations and discover that social values are often manifested beyond, as well as within, organisations. A matrix of social values in relation to technology changes and their interactions with various stakeholders is further discussed. The matrix helps understand how various social values are manifested and also how they revolve around organisations’ strategic management of information technology. The implications of the findings are discussed in relation to the understanding of IT and business managers about social values. Future research directions are also suggested.