Rationalism vs. Incrementalism: two opposing or complementary strategies for effecting change in HEI web development
| Pages | 61-67 |
| Date | 01 September 2001 |
| Published date | 01 September 2001 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/03055720010804177 |
| Author | Mike McConnell,Iain A. Middleton |
| Subject Matter | Information & knowledge management |
VINE 124 — 61
Rationalism vs.
Incrementalism:
two opposing or
complementary
strategies for effecting
change in HEI web
development
by Mike McConnell, University of
Aberdeen and Iain A. Middleton, Robert
Gordon University
The paper examines rationalist and
incrementalist approaches for effecting change
in website management. Planning is a
traditionally rationalist activity that requires
specific objectives and timescales to be set,
resources to be allocated, and assumes that a
desired future state is indeed definable and
achievable. The paper argues that the web is
too diverse and broad in scope to be addressed
as a whole in purely rationalist terms: successful
development requires the intelligent application
of incrementalist measures. The authors
examine a number of rationalist and
incrementalist measures in use at two UK HEIs.
One approach stimulates incremental buy-in by
encouraging departments to either adopt
standards recommended by a central web
management team, or by contracting the team
for web development and maintenance. A
second “rationalist” approach attempts to define
the ideal future state, and then implement the
requisite technologies and practices as a
campus-wide standard.
The paper discusses the pros and cons of
rationalist and incrementalist approaches, and
the need for a balance between each in a
successful web strategy.
Introduction
Most, if not all, UK Higher Education Institutions
(HEIs) have some form of web presence; clients of
HEIs increasingly expect to be able to engage with
such institutions online for information and in
support of standard business processes. However,
many institutions have inadequate online facilities
and the quality and relevance of information
presented is at best variable.
There is a growing realisation among the UK HEI
community that web based information is as
important (if not more important) than other
traditional methods of dissemination. Yet many
organisations do not have any clearly identified
strategy for web development. Changing the web
culture of an organisat ion can be a fr aught p rocess.
Banbery suggests that web management should
ideally follow these sequential steps:
1. Strategy - decide what you want from your
website. How will it help you achieve your
strategic objectives?
2. Structure - how will you structure the
information to support this?
3. Interface - ensure that the usability of your
site is paramount
4. Graphics - only when all the above elements
are in place should graphical design be
considered.1
Banbery notes, however, that most UK HEI sites
have grown by following the reverse of this proc-
ess: pages and sites have sprung up randomly, and
then institutions have attempted to impose struc-
ture on these disparate and ill-fitting elements.
Such websites therefore largely fail to meet institu-
tional objectives.
Evidently to follow the sequential steps presented
in the ideal model, it will be necessary for UK
HEIs to start afresh. Yet how practicable is this,
and what problems will be encountered? And if
such a rational approach is not possible, is it viable
to effect change incrementally via other methods?
Rationalism and Incrementalism
The rationalist approach is the traditional
“planned” approach:
A desired future state is defined,
The activities and resources required to
achieve it are defined and allocated.
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