Jane Fountain's book, Building the Virtual State: Information Technology and Institutional Change, uses the International Trade Data System (ITDS) as its leading case in support of technology enactment theory and in refutation of technological determinist theory. An examination of the ITDS case in the years since the termination of Fountain's coverage in 1999 shows the case to be of a different nature than presented in the book. The weaknesses of technology enactment as social science theory are compensated by its descriptive/prescriptive uses for practitioners and researchers interested in public sector information technology implementation.
Fountain, J. E. (2001). Building the virtual state: Information technology and institutional change. Washington, DC: Brookings Institution .
6.
Garson, G. D. (1995). Computer technology and social issues. Harrisburg, PA: Idea Group Publishing .
7.
Grafton, C. (2003). “Shadow theories” in Fountain's theory of technology enactment . Social Science Computer Review, 21(4), 411-416 .
8.
International Trade Data System. (n.d.). ITDS home page. Retrieved May 11, 2003, from http://www.itds.treas.gov/
9.
Kraemer, K. L., & King, J. L. (1986). Computing and public organizations . Public Administration Review, 46, 488-496 .
10.
Mumford, E. (1987). Sociotechnical systems design: Evolving theory and practice. In G. Bjerknes, P. Ehn, & M. Kyng (Eds.), Computers and democracy (pp. 59-76). Avebury, UK: Aldershot .
11.
Trist, E. (1981). The evolution of sociotechnical systems: A conceptual framework and an action research program (Occasional Paper No. 2). Toronto, Canada: Ontario Quality of Working Life Center .
