>> The normalization process theory is a sociological theory that aims to raise awareness of mechanisms that are fundamental to the implementation, embedding and integration of new technologies and organizational innovations (May & Finch 2009). The focus is particularly on the cognitive and social processes that people go through in order to integrate an innovation into their everyday practices and maintain its use. In this context, it can be used to identify factors at various stages of an implementation process that promote and/or inhibit the routine integration of new practices into everyday practice (Murray et al. 2010; May 2006, May 2013).
The NPT emerged as an extension of the Normalization Process Model (NPM) by May and colleagues (May et al. 2007) and provides four non-linear generative core mechanisms for understanding implementation processes (see Table 1):
• Coherence: the awareness-building that individuals and groups engage in to develop an understanding of how an innovation differs from other practices, what benefits it offers, and what people need to do to take advantage of it.
• Cognitive Participation: the relational work to ensure that the right people are involved in implementing the innovation, as well as the legitimacy and commitment of groups of people to reorganize themselves to exploit the innovation.
• Collective action: people's efforts to operationalize an innovation.
• Reflexive monitoring: the individual and collective assessment of the change work and the sustainable use of the innovation.

Each core mechanism is also conceptualized in depth via four subcomponents (not listed within the scope of this article), enabling an in-depth understanding of the mechanisms. <<