User-driven technology in NGOs—A computationally intensive theory approach

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) typically have restrained information and communication technology (ICT) budgets and resources. At the same time, they face high pressure to reduce administrative costs. A possible solution to the resulting conundrum could be user-driven technology. This term describes a selection of technologies, including intelligent process automation, low-code platforms, and business intelligence tools that push innovation and user-centricity by letting operational employees directly deploy comparably cheap solutions without the need for central ICT support. Practitioner literature indicates, however, that user-driven technologies are lagging in the social sector despite evidence from some individual success stories published by researchers. Thus, a systematic assessment of user-driven technologies within NGOs and of potential challenges in their introduction is necessary. To close this research gap, we employ the method of computationally intensive theory construction, combining data mining with qualitative interviews. Results indicate that user-driven technologies are indeed lagging and that forming a problem-mindset and creating adequate governance structures are the main challenges to their introduction within NGOs.