Studying the Translations of NHSnet

Abstract

This paper explores the ways in which innovative information systems projects take on a life of their own. The paper begins by reviewing some of the more traditional ways of making sense of this phenomenon—resistance to change, escalation, and unintended results—before introducing the sociology of translation. This provides a theoretical framework for viewing the transformations that an information systems project undergoes. The framework is then applied to the case of the NHSnet project in the United Kingdom. Using the language of sociology of translation, we consider the underlying stakeholder relations in the case study and draw more general conclusions for the responsibilities of stakeholders involved in an information systems lifecycle.