Mediators Of RFID Implementation In The Public/Private Sector Context: An Ant Perspective

The majority of studies into Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) based systems focus on the technical and engineering aspects of such systems. Where research expands outside this scope, it tends to focus on single supply chains set either within the private sector, or less commonly the public sector. This research examines RFID based systems, asking the question “what factors or issues mediate the relationship between public and private sector where they are involved in an RFID system?” From an Actor Network Theory (ANT) perspective, in depth interviews were conducted with 38 senior managers in four countries in order to understand the cross-sector implementations in which they were involved. Eleven mediators were found, across three dimensions. Overarching systems mediators were financial, infrastructure, standards, organisational knowledge and security. Inter-organisational mediators were trust, privacy and legislation. Intra-organisational mediators were leadership, data management and benefits. Some differences were also seen in the way the two sectors acted. This research contributes to theory by proposing a model demonstrating the mediators involved in cross-sector implementations. The novel use of ANT also suggests a research approach that may be successful in further understanding complex technology systems.