Managing Emerging Technology and Organizational Transformation in Public Sector : An Acculturation Perspective

From 1992 to 2005 Singapore National Library Board has successfully incorporated information technology into its working procedures and customer service. The organization has adopted Radio Frequency Identification and other technology applications; transformed its operating routines and provided access to millions of publications for its library users. A key issue in this transformation is how the organization has managed its cultural change and has taken advantage of emerging technology. The success is considered remarkable since, in the past, public libraries in Singapore have carried the stigma of traditional public sector organizations in tending to resist new technology. To provide an insight into how Singapore National Library Board has managed its employees’ adaptation to the new technology, we examine the cultural changes resulting from introduction of information technology. A number of key factors have emerged which show how an organization can manage this kind of cultural adaptation. We discuss their application in research and practice