Growth of an Organizational Field for Infrastructure: US, State, and Local Fusion Centers, 2001-2012
Paper Type
Research-in-Progress Paper
Abstract
Developing information infrastructure normally entails changing organizations and institutions. Research has highlighted how such changes often give rise to ”tensions"; however less is known about what can contribute to such evolution proceeding relatively smoothly. This paper describes the development of a national infrastructure for sharing of information among government agencieshas that has occurred relatively effectively. In less than ten years, the US “National Network of Fusion Centers” has implemented technologies and processes for sharing “threat-related” information between law enforcement and intelligence agencies across local, state and federal levels of government. Institutionally, this infrastructure growth has been accomplished through developing an organizational field of state and urban area Fusion Centers. The paper describes several key institutional mechanisms shaping development of this field, including institutional logics and the influence of a coordinating coalition of higher level agencies which establish a set of self-reinforcing dynamics. Implications for theory, practice and research are discussed.
Recommended Citation
Brooks, JoAnn, "Growth of an Organizational Field for Infrastructure: US, State, and Local Fusion Centers, 2001-2012" (2013). AMCIS 2013 Proceedings. 1.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2013/SocialTechnicalIssues/RoundTablePresentations/1
Growth of an Organizational Field for Infrastructure: US, State, and Local Fusion Centers, 2001-2012
Developing information infrastructure normally entails changing organizations and institutions. Research has highlighted how such changes often give rise to ”tensions"; however less is known about what can contribute to such evolution proceeding relatively smoothly. This paper describes the development of a national infrastructure for sharing of information among government agencieshas that has occurred relatively effectively. In less than ten years, the US “National Network of Fusion Centers” has implemented technologies and processes for sharing “threat-related” information between law enforcement and intelligence agencies across local, state and federal levels of government. Institutionally, this infrastructure growth has been accomplished through developing an organizational field of state and urban area Fusion Centers. The paper describes several key institutional mechanisms shaping development of this field, including institutional logics and the influence of a coordinating coalition of higher level agencies which establish a set of self-reinforcing dynamics. Implications for theory, practice and research are discussed.