Studying the interplay between design and diffusion in standard making

Abstract

The central activity in the process of creating IS standards is the creation of an artefact mirroring a problem area. Doing so, one aims to alleviate business communication and ensure consistency in performance of same. This thesis explores the reciprocal relationship between the conceivement, creation and development of IS standards on one hand, and the promulgation and dispersion on the other. Prior standards litterature are recognizing a gap in earlier research between the two. The theoretical reasoning on interdependencies between design and diffusion are anchored with the evidence found in the case scenario. This entails an endeavor in which a new IS standard for business communication is conceived, developed and implemented in a joint venture between a research institute and various actors in the telematics sector. The emerging characteristics of IS standards development call for novel tools to combat increased scope and complexity of standardization procedures. This thesis tries to mitigate the search for such tools through an in depth analysis of how standards design and standards diffusion influence each other. The results show an intimate connection with action, reaction and counteraction in between the two phenomena.