CRM as institution - imaginary, legitimacy and appropriation

Abstract

In this paper, we explore the idea that an IS could act as an institution in itself, if its legitimacy is well established, even the knowledge of the system is weak. This is in line with some theory of appropriation, and against the cognitive approach of the reason action theory. But we explore also one condition to gain legitimacy, which is that the system and proposed usage fit to the imaginary of the adopting population. Imaginary plays also a role along the appropriation process acting as a kind of pre-knowledge.