Munkvold 141 Copyright Idea Group Inc. Copyright Idea Group Inc. Copyright Idea Group Inc. Copyright Idea Group Inc. Chapter 9 Alignment of Collaboration Technology Adoption and Organizational Change Findings from Five Case Studies Bjlrn Erik Munkvold Agder University College, Norway The chapter presents an analysis of the alignment process of the adoption of collaboration technology and related organizational change identified in a multiple case study in five organizations. Special emphasis is put on the sequential relationship between technology adoption and organizational change, and the question of whether successful adoption of collaboration technology requires the pre-existence of a collaborative organizational culture. Findings from the case studies imply that successful adoption of collaboration technology can follow different patterns, and that contextual factors can be equally important in explaining adoption as characteristics of the technology and implementation project. The case studies also illustrate how elements of learning and maturation in the implementation process can help in overcoming barriers to adoption. INTRODUCTION Collaboration technology has now come of age. Over the last decade it has developed from something exotic and esoteric, to become a vital element in many organizations IT architecture. The main driving force behind this has been the increasing focus on organizational learning, knowledge management and virtual organizations. Collaboration technology is seen to provide the necessary infra- Previously Published in Challenges of Information Technology Management in the 21st Century, edited by Mehdi Khosrow-Pour, Copyright ' 2000, Idea Group Publishing. This chapter appears in the book, Collaborative Information Technologies by Mehdi Khosrow-Pour. Copyright ' 2002, IRM Press, an imprint of Idea Group Inc. 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Hershey PA 17033-1117, USA Tel: 717/533-8845; Fax 717/533-8661; URL-http://www.irm-press.com ITB7569 IRM PRESS