science

Technology–organization–environment framework

Technology–organization–environment framework is a science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Technology–organization–environment framework rather than just read about it. In short: The technology-organization-environment framework, also known as the TOE framework, is a theoretical framework that explains technology adoption in organizations and describes how the process of adopting and implementing technological innovations are influenced by the technological context, organizational context, and environmental context. Louis G.

Key takeaways

Technology–organization–environment framework belongs to science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Technology–organization–environment framework to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Technology–organization–environment framework from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The technology-organization-environment framework, also known as the TOE framework, is a theoretical framework that explains technology adoption in organizations and describes how the process of adopting and implementing technological innovations are influenced by the technological context, organizational context, and environmental context. Louis G. Tornatzky and Mitchell Fleischer published the model in 1990. Numerous application examples of the TOE framework have been summarized by Olivera and Martins (2011). As Awa, Ojiabo & Orokor (2017) reiterated, the TOE framework is for organizational level analysis. The framework focuses on higher level attributes (i.e. the technological, organizational, and environmental contexts) instead of detailed behaviors of individuals in the organization. To understand technology adoption at individual level, behavioral models such as the theory of reasoned action, the theory of planned behavior, and the technology acceptance model should be applied. While this classification of organization level theory and individual level theory is generally accepted, it also leads to the difficulty of how to investigate the higher level attributes. Information can only be obtained from individuals in the target organization and hence inevitably biased by individuals' viewpoints. Li (2020) has demonstrated a rough equivalence of behavioral models and TOE framework when individual perception has been taken into account. Despite the TOE framework having been widely used, it has undergone limited theoretical development since its introduction. According to Zhu and Kraemer (2005), the reason for the lack of development is that the TOE framework is "too generic" and offers a high degree of freedom to vary factors and measures so there is little need to change the theory itself. Another important reason, according to Baker (2012), is the theory aligns "too well" with other technology adoption theories and does not offer competitive explanations. Thus, there is very limited tension to modify the framework.

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Technology–organization–environment framework

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Technology–organization–environment framework claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Technology–organization–environment framework before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Technology–organization–environment framework ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Technology–organization–environment framework

In research: Technology–organization–environment framework appears in science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Technology–organization–environment framework in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Technology–organization–environment framework is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Information systems, Management frameworks, Organizational studies, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Technology–organization–environment framework outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Technology–organization–environment framework in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Technology–organization–environment framework means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Technology–organization–environment framework out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Technology–organization–environment framework in simple terms?

Why does Technology–organization–environment framework matter?

Because it connects several science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Technology–organization–environment framework?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Technology–organization–environment framework.