Effects of information technology on temporal experiences: findings from a hospital emergency department

ABSTRACT

Information technology (IT) is intricately bound up with time. As IT has become an integral part of contemporary organizations, it is of significance to understand the temporal effects of IT at work. Yet, little is known about how the use of IT affects the temporal experiences in the workplace. This study addresses this gap. Specifically, an interpretive case study was conducted in the emergency department in a hospital located in the Mid-Western United States. Data were collected from observations and interviews with physicians and nurses. The analyses of the qualitative data reveal that the use of the medical information system affected the regionalization of tasks for both physicians and nurses and rendered entrainment for nurses. The use of cell phones by physicians impinged upon regionalization, linear execution of tasks and made them exhibit entrainment and feel less control of their time. These findings can be attributed to the different affordances embedded in IT artifacts and the various demands inherent in organizational work. This study shows the complexity of the temporal effects of IT in organizations. The insights obtained from this study have advanced the theoretical understanding and empirical knowledge on time in IT-mediated work. They can also help organizations better configure IT artifacts and shape organizational members’ behaviors and perceptions in IT-induced temporal changes.

Acknowledgments

The author would like to thank Dr. Xiao Xiao, the associate editor, for her constructive comments that significantly improved the article.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Zixing Shen

Zixing Shen is an Assistant Professor of Information Systems in College of Business at New Mexico State University. She received her Ph.D. in Management (Information Systems) from Case Western Reserve University. Her research interests include the use of technology in organizational work, system analysis and design, and user engagement with technology. Her work has been published in Communications of Association for Information Systems, European Journal of Information Systems, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, and other journals.