This study examines how case management technologies (CMTs) are utilized within local care networks (LCNs) of human services organizations (HSOs) that offer services like housing to influence service delivery. LCNs are increasingly vital as communities adopt more accessible, flexible human service systems. The use of technology in these networks is vital to achieving these objectives. Consequently, this research was conducted to understand how CMT use supports LCNs in achieving goals at the worker, organizational, and network levels. It also highlights network development, a new focus in the literature on affordances, as it explores technology use in nonclinical networks.
This study employs an abductive qualitative approach to analyze interview data from 13 HSOs in a Chicago-based LCN. Guided by affordance theory, a thematic analysis was performed to understand how users interact with the CMT and how these interactions manifest at the worker, organizational, and network levels.
The findings reveal that CMTs afford more than standardized workflows and referral tracking; they also foster network development. Network development occurs through enhancing workers' technical capacity, strengthening interorganizational relationships, and creating pathways for network sensemaking. This multilevel effect, ranging from worker skills development to interorganizational collective action, broadens affordance theory to the network level within human services.
This study offers actionable insights for HSOs, LCNs, and system designers. Organizations should recognize the importance of co-designing with frontline workers and implement continuous training to build capacity in the contextualized use of CMTs, thereby enabling network development. Funders and policymakers supporting LCNs should consider supporting the development and implementation of technical tools that align with the relational nature of local care work.
Findings show that ongoing inequities shape technology engagement, particularly in marginalized communities. Technologies that assume universal access or focus on linear communication workflows may exclude users who could benefit. By emphasizing local knowledge and prioritizing relational infrastructure, HSOs and LCNs can use technology to bridge digital divides rather than widen them.
This study extends affordance theory by recognizing network development as an affordance that arises at the interorganizational level, an area that has yet to be fully explored. By doing so, it addresses a significant gap in understanding and theorizing the use of CMTs beyond clinical settings. Additionally, this research offers valuable insights for HSOs and LCNs aiming to leverage technology for community-based service integration.
