The Dynamics of Establishing Organisational Web Sites: some puzzling findings

Abstract

A survey of the currently available literature on diffusion of Web technologies reveals that it is at a very early stage of development. As a result, it is difficult, if not impossible, to use existing models to describe or explain the process of establishing organizational Web sites. One of the few theoretical models that can be used as a starting point for research in this area is the Jarvenpaa and Ives (1996) model. The model consists of five propositions that describe what the authors see as the essential aspects of the diffusion of Web technology. The purpose of this paper is to compare data collected in an Australian university to the propositions of the Jarvenpaa and Ives model. The comparison demonstrates that there is a need for a more generic model which would explain the diffusion process of Web technologies in diverse organizational and cultural contexts. The paper is concluded with a discussion of the political, industrial, and cultural reasons that may explain the differences between the dynamics in our case and those described in the Jarvenpaa and Ives model.