The concept of the last mile is one that is generally referenced with regard to the final distance that must be covered by a service, such as a network’s high bandwidth connection to end users from a trunk cable. The concept also serves well to refer to the adoption of technologies by end users. In short, it applies to the problem of gaining acceptance of implemented technologies within organizations to displace shadow systems and to maximize the value of the newly available technology.

The idea came from a book of the same name by Dilip Soman, which deals with behavioural economics and choice architecture. Many of the themes are similar, and the thinking transfers well to the challenges facing digital change in Higher Education institutions. General resistance to change, the tyranny of habit, and the gradient of the learning curve are often cited as the reasons for suboptimal adoption.

In response, organizations, including Higher Education institutions, have been adopting Organizational Change Management (OCM) to assist with user adoption. While worthy and greatly improving the situation, such approaches are currently proving insufficient to address the problem, mainly due to their deployment in a project rather than an operational context.

The contention of the presentation is that an augmented approach is necessary, one based on change architecture, decision theory, and behavioural science, integrated into operational strategy and a strong contextual awareness.

The contention of the presentation is that an augmented approach is necessary, one based on change architecture, decision theory, and behavioural science, integrated into operational strategy and a strong contextual awareness. The presentation will look at the problem of change and user adoption under the following headings:

• The nature of the changes we are undergoing
• The Higher Ed context
• Structural aspects of IT that exacerbate the problem
• Behavourial factors that bear on adoption
• Developing an operational approach
• Potential pathways forward

Brian Stewart

Brian Stewart

CIO, Simon Fraser University

Brian is the CIO at Simon Fraser University, Canada. His role is to provide strategic leadership, vision, and direction for information services and technology and to lead organisational transformation through digitally led innovation. Brian’s background is in strategic, operational, and technology management in the printing and higher education sectors, and he has written and spoken widely on these topics. Brian has an M.A. in Economics from University College Cork and a MBA from Athabasca University. Brian has published a number of papers and presented at conferences on the topic of digital leadership. He has also co-edited Phantom ex Machina: Digital Disruption’s Role in Business Model Transformation which was published by Springer.

Technology Track