IT Help Desk Implementation

Abstract

This case study concerns IT help desk management within an international airline. The core of what is described relates to attempts at implementing help desk procedures in practice, and illustrates the problems of treating these both as predominantly technology systems and predominantly human systems. From the failures outlined in the case, an alternative approach is proposed, based on the application of methods drawn from an understanding of critical social theory. The practical problems and theoretical issues are discussed, and a theoretically informed framework is applied retrospectively to the case. This allows conclusions to be drawn which, it is argued, strongly support the value of a critically informed approach to human-centered IT help desk issues.