Identifying obstacles in the shift to electronic media by professional societies: a Delphi study of the IEEE

A Delphi panel of 30 experts and stakeholders of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) was formed in order to assess the impact of IEEE's shift to electronic communication and information dissemination. The panel designed to reflect the organization's diverse areas of interests, included representatives from IEEE's leadership, staff, membership and customers, across a wide range of geographical location, technical field of interest, and leadership experience with IEEE. The Round One survey, which used as a framework IEEE's 1993 strategic plan, revealed a positive disposition on the part of the panel toward increased use of electronic communication and information dissemination by IEEE. Content analysis of the Round One responses, however, revealed 71 obstacles to IEEE's increased utilization of electronic media. These obstacles include characteristics of IEEE as technology initiator, individual and organizational adopters, electronic media technology, the environment, and outcomes.