Abstract

Most modern organizations have implemented intranets for communication within the organization itself. Recently drastic changes have occurred on the supply side of the technology on three fronts. First, intranet implementation tools have become very accessible. Second, a new breed of intranet tools known as “intranet-in-a-box” enables the implementation of an intranet without much in-house technical expertise. And third, the rise of the use of the World Wide Web has raised general awareness and knowledge about Internet/intranet technologies. In this speculative paper we ask the fundamental question “how should intranets be implemented?” As a possible answer we present a framework describing four different intranet implementation strategies based on who implements the intranet (in-house vs. outsourced project) and the technology used (development tools or shrink-wrapped intranet packages). The four strategies are the amateur, the craftsman, the engineer, and the traveling fitter. Each strategy has advantages as well as disadvantages. We conducted an explorative field study of eight Danish organizations that were implementing intranets. Our analysis suggests that the appropriate strategy must be chosen in accordance with the level of internal technical expertise, core competence, and maturity of the technology.

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