Implementation Barriers: A TASKS Framework

Implementation is ubiquitous. The identification of barriers to implementation is critical for achieving implementation success. This paper introduces and discusses a deductive theory-based framework, TASKS, to guide the identification of implementation barriers. The TASKS framework deals with the relationships between a Task and the task implementer’s Affect, Skills, and Knowledge, based on the inversed U-shaped mental Stress-mental effort relation. The TASKS framework classifies implementation barriers into four categories: 1) emotion barriers, 2) logic barriers, 3) knowledge barriers, and 4) resources barriers. The TASKS framework detects barriers to implementation following three steps, 1) identifying the ideal TASKS components, 2) modelling the implementer’s mental capability, and 3) detecting barriers to implementation. The TASKS framework can be applied to a wide range of disciplines for effective and efficient task implementation.