Educators are social beings (just as all humans are) and so the social environment in which they live and work is meaningful and influences their intentions and their behaviors. When school and technology leaders take steps to ensure that individuals perceive other individuals (especially those who are respected and perceived to be doing similar work) to be using technology, then there will be increased use of technology.
Social psychologists recognize three types of social influences. Social influences motivated by compliance are typical of settings in which individuals are obligated to act in a defined way to gain reward or avoid punishment. Educators who are required to use a particular online grading system may comply with the request, but not use the advanced features of the reporting system. When individuals feel a strong identity with another individual (or with a group of individuals) then the individual will seek to model the actions of that individual or group. The social influences resulting from those identifications tend to be stronger than the social influences of compliance. The strongest social influences arise when the individual internalizes the social influences, so they are perceived as natural and the individual holds the same expectation of others (Aronson 2003). The most sustained technology efforts in schools are those that follow faculty internalizing the social influences, although all of the types of social influences are commonly encountered within faculties.
Reference
Aronson, Elliot. 2003. The Social Animal. Worth Publishing.