Mimetic and Coercive Pressures Drive Green IT Adoption
Category: Resource Management · Effect: Strong effect · Year: 2011
Organizations are more likely to adopt environmentally friendly Information Technology (IT) and Information Systems (IS) when influenced by the need to conform to industry norms (mimetic pressure) and external mandates (coercive pressure).
Design Takeaway
To successfully implement green IT solutions, designers must consider and leverage both the desire to conform to industry standards and the impact of external regulations.
Why It Matters
Understanding these institutional drivers is crucial for designers and strategists aiming to implement sustainable IT solutions. It highlights that adoption is not solely based on inherent benefits but also on social and regulatory influences, guiding how to effectively advocate for and integrate green IT practices.
Key Finding
Organizations adopt green IT and IS practices more readily when they feel pressure to imitate successful peers and when external regulations or mandates require it. These pressures work together, especially when focusing on managing products responsibly.
Key Findings
- Mimetic pressures significantly drive the adoption of green IS & IT.
- Coercive pressures significantly drive the adoption of green IS & IT.
- Outcome-based imitation and imposition-based coercion are major institutional processes.
- Mimetic and coercive pressures have a complementary relationship, particularly motivating green IS & IT adoption focused on product stewardship.
Research Evidence
Aim: To investigate how institutional pressures, specifically mimetic and coercive forces, influence the adoption of green Information Systems and Information Technology within organizations.
Method: Quantitative survey analysis
Procedure: Survey data from 75 organizations regarding their adoption of green IS/IT practices were analyzed using the Partial Least Squares (PLS) method to identify the impact of institutional pressures.
Sample Size: 75 organizations
Context: Organizational adoption of green Information Systems and Information Technology
Design Principle
Institutional pressures significantly influence the adoption of sustainable design practices.
How to Apply
When designing or proposing green IT solutions, research industry norms and identify any relevant regulatory requirements that can be used to support the adoption case.
Limitations
The study's findings may be specific to the organizational contexts surveyed and might not generalize to all industries or regions without further investigation.
Student Guide (IB Design Technology)
Simple Explanation: Companies are more likely to go green with their technology if they see other companies doing it (copying) or if they are forced to by laws or rules.
Why This Matters: This research shows that external pressures, not just user needs or technical feasibility, play a big role in whether a design gets adopted, especially for sustainable designs.
Critical Thinking: To what extent do mimetic and coercive pressures outweigh the intrinsic benefits of a green design in driving its adoption?
IA-Ready Paragraph: This study by Chen et al. (2011) highlights that organizational adoption of green IT and IS is significantly influenced by mimetic pressures (imitating others) and coercive pressures (external mandates). This suggests that for sustainable design solutions to be adopted, designers should consider both industry trends and any relevant regulatory frameworks that might encourage or require their implementation.
Project Tips
- When researching a design problem, consider if there are industry standards or regulations that influence design choices.
- Think about how your design could be influenced by what competitors are doing or by external requirements.
How to Use in IA
- Use this research to justify why certain sustainable design features might be more readily adopted due to industry trends or regulations.
Examiner Tips
- Demonstrate an understanding of external factors that influence design adoption beyond the immediate user or technical aspects.
Independent Variable: ["Mimetic institutional pressures","Coercive institutional pressures"]
Dependent Variable: ["Adoption of green IS & IT"]
Controlled Variables: ["Organizational characteristics (e.g., size, industry)","Specific green IS/IT practices considered"]
Strengths
- Empirical investigation of institutional theory in the context of green IT.
- Quantitative analysis providing measurable insights into adoption drivers.
Critical Questions
- How do different types of coercive pressures (e.g., regulatory vs. normative) differentially impact adoption?
- Are there situations where mimetic or coercive pressures might lead to 'greenwashing' rather than genuine sustainable practices?
Extended Essay Application
- An Extended Essay could explore how institutional pressures influence the adoption of specific sustainable materials or manufacturing processes within a chosen industry.
Source
An Institutional Perspective on the Adoption of Green IS & IT · AJIS. Australasian journal of information systems/AJIS. Australian journal of information systems/Australian journal of information systems · 2011 · 10.3127/ajis.v17i1.572