From Data to Improvement: Social Mechanisms as a Key to Understanding Dashboard Adoption

Research on dashboard adoption has focused on technical and design requirements. Evidence on social mechanisms for successful dashboard adoption is scarce. This study examined 2 quality dashboards in a similar organizational context with different outcomes. The research question was: How do social mechanisms influence the adoption of dashboards in practice? This embedded case study within one Dutch hospital in 2 phases: (1) interviews and observations to identify social mechanisms in the end-user’s team and (2) expert focus groups to validate identified mechanisms. Data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically, resulting in the identification of 3 social mechanisms within the team of end-users influencing dashboard adoption: cultivating a supportive team climate, trust, and leadership behavior in endusers’ teams. These mechanisms stimulate a learning environment for discussing and improving care quality. They require action from individuals and teams, so dashboards can be used for collective understanding, learning, and improving. Without these social mechanisms, dashboards remain an unadopted “materiality.”