I believe technology can only be studied within the context of the organisation it is being used in. This can only be done by spending a period of time in the organisation, as unobtrusively as possible, observing the work of the organisation, and talking to key people within it (at all levels of hierarchy).
What I would want to do in your organisation is to 'hang around': sit and watch what people are doing while they are working in their normal everyday work, take lots of notes about it, maybe (if everyone's happy about this) occasionally tape-record some of what's happening. This observation would aim to be as unintrusive as possible, to not disrupt the flow of work in any way - that's not in your interest and it's not in mine!
I might, however, at pre-arranged times, ask to interview particular individuals about their work - not with any great agenda or list of questions, just to have them talk about how they work (particularly how they work with others) and how the computer technology affects that work.
I also have a slightly more active exercise to find out what people think of a computer system by having them redesign it - this might be useful to use in addition to these other methods if it were agreed (it only lasts an hour or two). This method has proved very useful in past studies as a way to explore problems with a system and has been designed in accordance with modern management theory.
Having done this study (for whatever length of time), I would write it up in two forms. Firstly, I would write a report to you, outlining how well in my view, based on my observations, the technology is working within the organisation. This would be written in plain English, rather than academic-ese or consultant-speke, and would represent a kind of mini-consultancy report.
Secondly, I would write an academic report of my study for use in my PhD or possibly for publication in the literature (with your agreement). In all cases, I would preserve the total anonymity of the organisation and the people within it (as well as anything else necessary in a particular case). I would guarantee not to make known who was being referred to in the study to other parties - either individuals or other organisations. My aim is not to "blow the whistle" on anything in the organisation but to study what is happening.
I have used these methods previously in a number of different studies of the effects of technology on the work of groups, where they have proved very useful as ways to evaluate the technology and its effects.
To summarise, I am seeking to come and observe work in your organisation for a period of time to be agreed, without any intrusion of the work. My aims are completely academic and I am not answerable to anyone except the academic community. In return, I would produce a consultancy report on the effects of technology on your organisation. In all circumstances, I would guarantee anonymity of results.
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