“Unintended Consequences” of ICT System Introduction in Organizations and Operations: A case study on efficiency improvement of transportation operations in four daycare facilities

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to clarify and categorize the factors of “unintended consequences” when introducing ICT transportation systems in elderly care facilities. The shortage of elderly care personnel in Japan has become a serious problem. One of the expected countermeasures is the use of ICT systems. Until now, the introduction of ICT systems in the field of elderly care has been discussed with the main objective to “verify its effectiveness” in terms of how information sharing has changed as a consequence. In spite of this, it is possible for the system to be utilized in a manner differently from which was initially intended by the management, or not being introduced in the first place after all. There are not many studies done thus far that have clarified the factors that lead to “unintended consequences” in the introduction of ICT systems in the field of elderly care. In this paper, we investigate the “unintended consequences” in the introduction of an ICT pick up and drop off system at a company, hereinafter referred to as Company X, that operates four elderly care facilities. The results of the research identified discrepancies between what management initially envisioned to be the issues in transportation operations and what the front-line workers felt were burdensome in operations. The facilities which introduced the system were “as intended” by the management; the study also revealed the reality in which the system was utilized in ways that differed from the management’s intentions.

Keywords: unintended consequences, ICT, operational efficiency, day-care facilities

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1005109

Cite this paper:

​