TY - JOUR
T1 - Learning processes in municipal broadband projects
T2 - An absorptive capacity perspective
AU - Techatassanasoontorn, Angsana A.
AU - Tapia, Andrea H.
AU - Powell, Alison
N1 - Funding Information:
A part of this research was presented at the 35th TPRC Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy, Arlington, Virginia, September 28–30, 2007. The authors would like to thank the conference reviewers and the audience for useful feedbacks. We thank Erik Bohlin, Telecommunications Policy Editor-in-Chief, the associate editors, and two anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments. We also thank Krishna Jayakar, Sandeep Purao, Steve Sawyer, and Eileen Trauth for their helpful suggestions. The Fredericton, Canada case study research was supported by the Community Wireless Infrastructure Research Project, funded by Industry Canada.
PY - 2010/11
Y1 - 2010/11
N2 - Effective knowledge management is important to the success of information technology projects. This research applies the integrated lens of the absorptive capacity theory and the social process model of information system development projects to examine the dynamic of knowledge activities concerning broadband infrastructure development in the context of municipal broadband networks. The research questions are: (1) What is the extent of the dynamic of knowledge activities involved in the development process?, (2) What are the events that trigger knowledge activities in municipal broadband development?, and (3) How does a city create and utilize new knowledge in the development process? This study examines municipal wireless projects in three cities (Chaska, MN; Hermosa Beach, CA; and Fredericton, Canada). Events that trigger knowledge activities are assignment of personnel, physical system construction, performance problems, resistance, and reassignment of organizational roles. Four factors that influence knowledge activities and project performance are the dynamic of technology development, partnership commitments, limitation of external knowledge and learning-by-doing, and political dynamics. The study has policy implications for cities that are in the process of planning and deployment. A good project planning, user expectation management, systematic performance evaluation, a careful partner selection process, and the use of service level agreements are important to project success. In addition, cities need to take into consideration that the technology is not a plug and play technology and that considerable efforts are needed to integrate the technology with other solutions to deliver broadband services as well as to configure the system according to topologies, street conditions, buildings, density of trees, among others.
AB - Effective knowledge management is important to the success of information technology projects. This research applies the integrated lens of the absorptive capacity theory and the social process model of information system development projects to examine the dynamic of knowledge activities concerning broadband infrastructure development in the context of municipal broadband networks. The research questions are: (1) What is the extent of the dynamic of knowledge activities involved in the development process?, (2) What are the events that trigger knowledge activities in municipal broadband development?, and (3) How does a city create and utilize new knowledge in the development process? This study examines municipal wireless projects in three cities (Chaska, MN; Hermosa Beach, CA; and Fredericton, Canada). Events that trigger knowledge activities are assignment of personnel, physical system construction, performance problems, resistance, and reassignment of organizational roles. Four factors that influence knowledge activities and project performance are the dynamic of technology development, partnership commitments, limitation of external knowledge and learning-by-doing, and political dynamics. The study has policy implications for cities that are in the process of planning and deployment. A good project planning, user expectation management, systematic performance evaluation, a careful partner selection process, and the use of service level agreements are important to project success. In addition, cities need to take into consideration that the technology is not a plug and play technology and that considerable efforts are needed to integrate the technology with other solutions to deliver broadband services as well as to configure the system according to topologies, street conditions, buildings, density of trees, among others.
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U2 - 10.1016/j.telpol.2010.06.001
DO - 10.1016/j.telpol.2010.06.001
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:78650177465
SN - 0308-5961
VL - 34
SP - 572
EP - 595
JO - Telecommunications Policy
JF - Telecommunications Policy
IS - 10
ER -