Organizational Sensemaking in Erp Implementation: The Influence of Sensemaking Structure

2020 | Management Information Systems Quarterly | Citations: 0

Authors: Barney Tan; Pan, Shan L.; Wenbo Chen; Lihua Huang

Abstract: Organizational sensemaking is crucial to enterprise resource planning (ERP) impl ... Expand

Abstract: Organizational sensemaking is crucial to enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation. This is because it enables the focal organization to gain an understanding of the unique contextual issues within and surrounding the organization, and continuously monitor and reinterpret these issues so that the approach to ERP implementation can be modified or realigned accordingly. Yet, little attention has been paid to studying the nature and implications of this process. Using a case study of the ERP implementation journey of Shanghai Tobacco Corporation, a Chinese state-owned enterprise, this paper explores the different ways in which organizational sensemaking can unfold in the context of ERP implementation. Analyses of our data suggest that the process of organizational sensemaking is influenced by a sensemaking structure, which consists of a technical structure (i.e., the technical foundation for sensemaking) and a social structure (i.e., the behavioral norms and relational ties surrounding sensemaking). The sensemaking structure, in turn, is influenced by the contextual conditions surrounding ERP implementation. With its findings, this study contributes a process model of ERP implementation from a sensemaking perspective to complement the existing research, and provides indications to practice on the effective implementation of ERP systems. Collapse

Topics: sensemaking enterprise resource planning enterprise resource planning implementation systems development organizational culture

Methods: business process modeling qualitative interview case study archival research literature study

Theories: control theory agency theory

Seeking the 'Smart' in Cities: Managing the process of Innovating with IT

2018 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Pittaway, Jeffrey; Montazemi, Ali Reza

Abstract: A smart city can be defined as a city seeking to address public issues via infor ... Expand

Abstract: A smart city can be defined as a city seeking to address public issues via information technology solutions on the basis of a multi-stakeholder, municipally based partnership. Core to the smart city agenda is realizing a new innovation strategy for municipal governance based on high levels of cooperation among stakeholders to improve the efficiency and quality of public service delivery. Governments can enact an integrated digital platform to support high levels of cooperation among stakeholders with process management, and thereby align cooperative activities with public priorities. Drawing on punctuated equilibrium theory, we examine what know-how enables some city managers to manage implementation of an integrated digital platform for innovating with IT, and what know-how is lacking in city governments that fail to do so. We report evidence from case studies in eleven city governments to identify what knowhow city managers require for the competence to manage such an implementation. Collapse

Topics: enterprise resource planning enterprise resource planning implementation digital platform organizational change IT investment

Methods: case study personal interview cross sectional research qualitative interview synthesis

Theories: punctuated equilibrium theory

Shadow Systems, Risk, and Shifting Power Relations in Organizations

2017 | Communications of the Association for Information Systems | Citations: 6

Authors: Furstenau,, Daniel; Rothe, Hannes; Sandner, Matthias

Abstract: Drawing on notions of power and the social construction of risk, we build new th ... Expand

Abstract: Drawing on notions of power and the social construction of risk, we build new theory to understand the persistence of shadow systems in organizations. From a single case study in a mid-sized savings bank, we derive two feedback cycles that concern shifting power relations between business units and central IT associated with shadow systems. A distant business-IT relationship and changing business needs can create repeated cost and time pressures that make business units draw on shadow systems. The perception of risk can trigger an opposing power shift back through the decommissioning and recentralization of shadow systems. However, empirical findings suggest that the weakening tendency of formal risk-management programs may not be sufficient to stop the shadow systems cycle spinning if they fail to address the underlying causes for the emergence of shadow systems. These findings highlight long-term dynamics associated with shadow systems and pose “risk” as a power-shifting construct. Collapse

Topics: IT governance systems documentation enterprise resource planning implementation systems development life cycle risk management

Methods: qualitative interview single case study case study theory development triangulation

Theories: information systems theory

A literature analysis of the use of Absorptive Capacity construct in IS research

2017 | International Journal of Information Management | Citations: 26

Authors: Gao, Shijia; Yeoh, William; Wong, Siew Fan; Scheepers, Rens

Abstract: a b s t r a c tSince the seminal inception of Absorptive Capacity (ACAP) by Coh ... Expand

Abstract: a b s t r a c tSince the seminal inception of Absorptive Capacity (ACAP) by Cohen and Levinthal (1990), it has been adopted widely in information systems (IS) research. This paper analyzes the use of ACAP in IS research through a literature analysis of ACAP-related papers published in 52 reputable IS journals from 1990 to 2015. Drawing on a review of the evolution of ACAP, the analyses conducted include: (1) descriptive analysis of ACAP in IS papers; (2) domains of ACAP usage; (3) analysis of hypotheses and propositions to show how ACAP is being used to explain various organizational phenomena in IS research; and (4) analysis of the measures to provide insights into the operationalization of ACAP in IS research. Our findings suggest that while the majority of the research correctly conceptualizes ACAP as a capability, various misalignments between ACAP conceptualization, operationalization and measurement, and the level of analysis in the literature continue to do a disservice to the accumulated research in ACAP. The findings and recommendations should help IS researchers to conceptualize and operationalize ACAP appropriately. Collapse

Topics: enterprise resource planning enterprise information system knowledge management computer supported cooperative work IT governance

Methods: literature study literature sample synthesis descriptive statistic mediation analysis

Rethinking IS project boundaries in practice: A multiple-projects perspective

2010 | Journal of Strategic Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Elbanna, Amany

Abstract: Information systems research and prescriptive IS project management methodologie ... Expand

Abstract: Information systems research and prescriptive IS project management methodologies are dominated by a perspective on single projects that treats the unit of analysis as a lonely phenomenon with strictly defined boundaries. This study questions this assumption by exploring how the taken for granted project’s boundaries are defined in practice. It investigates a case study of an ERP implementation project in an international organization. The findings show the busy multiple-projects platform of contemporary organizations that ERP project cannot be isolated from. They also reveal that project management boundaries are continually crossed and that project’s boundaries in practice are malleable and changeable. They are defined through negotiations with other projects and programs where what is inside or outside a project is subject to change according to the outcomes of such negotiations. A flatter view of project organizing could facilitate such an interaction. The implications for IS project management research and practice are discussed. Collapse

Topics: IT project project management enterprise resource planning IT project management enterprise resource planning implementation

Methods: case study single case study personal interview participant observation

Theories: actor network theory

An Examination of the Role of IT Governance in the ERP Post-Implementation Phase

2009 | Americas Conference on Information Systems | Citations: 0

Authors: Usher, Barbara; Olfman, Lorne

Abstract: Problems associated with ERP implementations are most prevalent during the post- ... Expand

Abstract: Problems associated with ERP implementations are most prevalent during the post-implementation phase because this is when the mistakes of the prior phases surface and become real. The cost overruns and adverse business impacts in an organization during this phase can threaten the survival of the organization and impact sales revenue. For this reason, research that increases our understanding of this phase in order to minimize the negative impacts and failure during this period is critical. This study utilizes variance research to explain similarities and differences in post-implementation outcomes across organizations that have implemented or upgraded their ERP systems. This approach does this by linking post-implementation outcomes to varying levels of IT governance. IT governance is examined by studying the ownership, accountability, and decision making structures in each organization. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-two participants in four organizations that implemented ERP systems. Analysis of the data collected across all cases resulted in initial propositions that can be investigated further. Collapse

Topics: enterprise resource planning IT governance Oracle database enterprise resource planning implementation decision making

Methods: case study personal interview qualitative interview survey literature study

IT governance for enterprise resource planning supported by the DeLone–McLean model of information systems success

2008 | Information & Management | Citations: 0

Authors: Bernroider, Edward W. N.

Abstract: I investigated the role of IT governance in driving the success of ERP projects. ... Expand

Abstract: I investigated the role of IT governance in driving the success of ERP projects. The tool for assessing ERP value was a comprehensive, multivariate and validated model adapted from the widely used Delone and McLean model of IS success. This showed that ERP investments were more effective in organizations having an IT governance domain consisting of proactive strategic guidance and participatory team building. Large enterprises, however, under-performed compared to SMEs and needed specific performance drivers, such as top management commitment to become effective. Collapse

Topics: enterprise resource planning IS success data quality system quality IT governance

Methods: survey data transformation Student's t-test factor analysis survey design

Theories: information systems success model