Companions Growing Apart: Exploring Actors’ Perceptions with Narratives and Masterplots in ERP Systems Development

Collaboration largely determines ERP development success but is fluid with difficulties. We propose them originating from collaborating actors’, such as developers’ and clients’, diverging perceptions. Identifying these perceptions is difficult as they often surface only when the perceptions contradict. In this paper, we utilize the narrative approach, arguing actors being storytellers sharing and living through narratives, to explore an ERP development project where a client and a vendor collaborate in a seeming well-defined manner. Interpreting the actors’ narratives and masterplots shows that they contradict each other. We argue this resulting from the parties’ different perceptions on collaboration, and their unaligned masterplots. This also explains severe problems in the project and illustrates narratives and masterplots as useful for uncovering the actors’ underlying perceptions, driving their actions

“I’ll use IT the way I feel like it” – The influence of user emotions on ERP usage

Due to the growing importance of complex information systems (IS) such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), organizations spend millions of dollars to IS implementations. Implementation of ERP triggers a wide range of end user behaviors, which are strongly tied to ERP’s success and benefits. Despite the progress that has been made in understanding the acceptance and resistance towards voluntary IS usage, less is known about the role of end user behaviors in mandatory IS usage context. Drawing from coping theory and human-material agency perspective, this paper argues that users can show different behaviors in their ERP usage depending on how they feel about the ERP. Thus, we investigate the influence of both negative and positive emotions of users on their behaviors and how these behaviors affect usage satisfaction and frequency of the ERP. We develop a theoretical framework that classifies user behaviors into two distinct types: end user maneuver, and counterproductive work behavior. The role of these user behaviors on the relationship between both positive and negative emotions and ERP usage is studied through a survey of 271 ERP end users in the U.S. The results show that user behaviors positively mediate the relationship between emotions and ERP usage

Understanding User Adaptation toward a New IT System in Organizations: A Social Network Perspective

Social networks can be a vital mechanism for users to adapt to changes induced by new IT systems in organizations. However, we do not adequately understand the effect of social networks on post-adoption IT use. Drawing on coping theory and the social network literature, we develop a cognitive-affective-behavioral classification of user adaptation and identify seeking-network closure and giving-network closure as key network characteristics pertinent to post-adoption IT use. Thereafter, we establish a theoretical link from seeking-network closure and giving-network closure to post-adoption IT use through the underlying mechanisms of user adaptation. We operationalize the research model using a field survey of a newly implemented electronic medical record system in a hospital in Northeast China, where we collected network data and objective system logs of 104 doctors. We found that seeking-network closure was positively associated with cognitive adaptation but negatively associated with affective adaptation and behavioral adaptation, whereas giving-network closure was negatively associated with cognitive adaptation but positively associated with affective adaptation and behavioral adaptation. Moreover, cognitive adaptation and affective adaptation were determinants of post-adoption IT use, but behavioral adaptation was not. We discuss our study’s theoretical and practical contributions

Joint Effect of Supply Chain Process Integration Capabilities, Information Technology Infrastructure and Government Policy on Supply Chain Performance of Public Universities in Kenya

Although the individual effects of supply chain process integration capabilities, information technology infrastructure and government policy on performance have to some extent been researched on, the joint effect has not been subjected to research. The objective of the study was to establish the joint effect of supply chain process integration capabilities, information technology infrastructure and government policy on supply chain performance of public universities in Kenya. It was hypothesized that the joint effect of supply chain process integration capabilities, information technology infrastructure and government policy on supply chain performance of public universities in Kenya is different from their individual effects. The study was guided by the resource based view (RBV). The study adopted a descriptive survey design.  A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to 31 public universities in Kenya with a target of 62 respondents one from procurement and one from the information communication technology departments respectively. The response rate was 81 per cent. Descriptive statistics, correlation and regression techniques were used to analyze the collected data. The results of the study indicate that there is a joint effect of supply chain process integration capabilities, information technology infrastructure and government policy on supply chain performance of public universities in Kenya of R2 =0.688, F= 34.586, at P< 0.05. The implication of the study is that policy makers and implementers have to formulate superior supply chain process integration capabilities, information technology infrastructure and government policy to achieve high levels of supply chain performance in public universities. This can build robust and agile end to end supply chains, policies, procedures, and practices for attainment of competitive advantages in operations. Keywords: Supply chain process integration capabilities, information technology infrastructure, government policy, supply chain performance, public universities DOI: 10.7176/PPAR/10-11-06 Publication date: November 30th 202

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it : An Abductive and Contextual Exploration of Maintenance Deferral

Objective: To create academic insights into how organisations approach and manage the maintenance of vendor-supplied information systems software. Approach: Three iterations of the Peircean Abduction methodology lead to the identification, conceptualisation, and application of new knowledge in vendor-supplied Information Systems (IS) maintenance deferral by means of undertaking a qualitative multiple-case study. The research goals are achieved through the appropriation and application of theories from Peircean Abduction and Systemic Functional Linguistics. Research questions: The following abductive statement is created through the application of the Peircean Abduction methodology: The surprising observation, “some organisations, having invested in a vendor-supplied IS software solution, defer the implementation of vendor-supplied maintenance”, is made; However, if “the existence of deterrents to maintenance, requiring a trigger event before the implementation of maintenance” were true, then “maintenance deferral” would be a matter of course. Hence there is a reason to suspect that “the existence of both deterrents, and of triggers” is true. From this abductive statement, three research questions are deduced. The first research question investigates the existence, characteristics and influence of deterrents; the second question investigates the existence, characteristics and influence of triggers. As a consequence of this approach, the final question provides a general understanding of IS maintenance deferral. Methodology: Following the implementation of a systematic literature review methodology, six themes are identified: 1. an acknowledgement that problems exist when considering vendor-supplied software maintenance; 2. deterrents as a driver in behaviour; 3. the occurrence of tipping-points which require vendor-supplied maintenance to be undertaken; 4. the consequences of deferral; 5. the value of maintenance; and 6. the formalisation of a maintenance lifecycle. Taking the insights arising from the systematic literature review, a multiple-case study following the pragmatic framework is constructed from data collected interviewing twelve participants across a diverse set of ten organisations. An abductive approach to this research topic creates opportunities for a comprehensive, well-grounded exploratory contribution to a scarcely investigated research domain. Major findings: The translation of Peircean abduction to an interpretative context generates a rich and substantive contribution to theory and practice. The existence of both deterrents and triggers are strongly supported, leading to the conclusion that maintenance deferral is a matter of course. The development of a new abductive and Systemic Functional Linguistic model enhances the knowledge of maintenance deferral and allows refinement of historical IS maintenance models. Finally, the application of Systems Thinking situates insights from the application of their mode within their respective organisational environments

User-centredness in Large-scale Information Systems Implementation

Information systems (IS) implementation often aims to ensuring user satisfaction. However, achieving such user-centredness has remained ambiguous and challenging, and the results are not always those that were promised. This may result from several views and fluctuating and implicitly defined concepts. While some premises have been identified, they seem to mostly concern easily manageable settings where the number of users is limited, or where the possibility to tailor the system is significant. Especially in a large-scale system\u27s implementation user-centredness seems to be fuzzy. In this paper we illustrate how user-centredness unfolds in a large scale IS implementation. We conduct a qualitative case study to see what occurs when the efforts are declared user-centred. By interviewing 13 central actors from a local developer organization, we learnt that user-centredness in such context is essentially the result of joint efforts thus necessitating that each party carries out their responsibility for user-centredness and engages in collaboration with others. The paper contributes to research by sharing empirically grounded findings to be used to extend the discussion on user-centredness

Three Essays on the Effects of Appraisal, Cultural, Emotional, and Cognitive Factors on Information Technologies Acceptance and Use

In essay 1, we propose a model, which utilized Lazarus and Folkman’s Cognitive Appraisal Theory of Emotion or Appraisal Theory (1984, 1987) as a structural foundation to lay out the nomological relationships among a person’s personal, cognitive, and emotional factors in predicting technology use behaviors. Emotion, likes many social and psychological factors, is challenging to give a full-consensus definition, and has been treated as a polar counterpart of cognition. Lazarus and Folkman’s Appraisal Theory suggested that when a person is facing a (disruptive) event, he or she appraises the possible outcomes (we suppose that appraising is a form of cognitive process), and based on the appraisal and along with other cognitive responses, together they influence his or her emotions. Both cognitive and emotional responses impact his or her behavioral intentions and behaviors. Derived from Appraisal Theory, various emotion theories and models, and TAM, we built a research model, which would provide and prove and the interplayed relationships among external, cognitive, and emotional variables. This study tested our research model in the context of four different technologies (Microsoft Access, iPad, SAP, and smartphone). The findings will provide substantial evidence of the imperative impact of emotions on technology use research and practices. In essay 2, built on the previous research model and supported by the theoretical background from essay 1, we would like to see how culture impacts on this model. Research has shown that people from different cultures do not think or behave alike. A person’s behavioral intentions and behaviors are often derived from his/her belief system. Lazarus and Folkman (1984) stated that “beliefs are personally formed or culturally shared cognitive configurations” (p. 63). They implied that the differences in culture may cause the variances while using a behavioral model (e.g. TAM) to predict or explain behaviors. In Lazarus and Folkman’s Appraisal Theory (1984, 1987), they regarded that beliefs determine what fact is, that is, “how things are” in the environment, and how they shape the understanding of its meaning” (Lazarus and Folkman, 1984, p. 63). In other words, they believed that culture and personal factors shape a person’s understanding of his/her surrounding environment. Bem (1970) distinguishes two levels of beliefs, primitive and higher-order. Primitive beliefs reside in a subconscious state within a person; when those beliefs are needed, they will emerge under specific circumstances. “Higher-order beliefs are learned” (Lazarus and Folkman 1984, p. 64) from experiences and over time become personal primitive beliefs. Often beliefs are operating underneath a person’s explicit awareness; nevertheless, beliefs could shape a person’s perceptions. We added cultural constructs to the proposed model, which were derived from Hofstede’s four cultural dimensions (individualism/collectivism, power distance, uncertainty avoidance, and masculinity/femininity), to examine the effect of cross cultural differences. In addition, the added constructs should demonstrate notable influences on a person’s cognition and emotion, and ultimately his/her technology use. In essay 3, uncertainty adversely impels one’s logical judgments, decisions, and behaviors (Baker, Bloom, Davis, 2015: Bloom, 2009; Denis and Kannan, 2013). Straube, Mentzel, and Miltner (2007) described anticipatory anxiety using “waiting for spiders” as a metaphor. Anticipatory anxiety was described that humans will estimate a possible future threat, danger, or other upcoming potentially negative events, which cause him/her anxiety (Barlow, 2000; Barlow, Chorpita, and Turovsky, 1996; Behnke and Sawyer, 2000). Research in user technology acceptance and use should not ignore uncertainty’s impact on a person’s perception and behaviors. The present study is aimed at investigating how users would feel along with what they would think, and how they would act, given an ambiguous event when the office workers are given a new technology or information system to use in their workplace. We also explore another factor, anticipatory anxiety, which is induced by uncertainty. Together, we believe that uncertainty factors and anticipatory anxiety factor would be the antecedents on user’s behavioral intention. The contribution of this study will shed light on discovering and solving knowledge in a user’s predicament in using new enterprise software, and thus enhance a better understanding for professionals when implementing it

Using a Work System Perspective to Expand BPM Use Cases for Research

Business Process Management (BPM) has developed as a research field centered within the computer and information systems sciences – but also touching other fields as well. Recently, van der Aalst (2013) analyzed the results of some of these research efforts and identified a set of research topics in the form of a series of BPM use cases that primarily emphasize technological and computational challenges and solutions in BPM academia. Ideally, however, BPM should also address managerial and organizational challenges that are not fully reflected in the existing use cases identified by van der Aalst (2013). We propose drawing on work system theory (WST) to expand van der Aalst’s use cases and to identify additional BPM use cases and new research directions. After comparing a WST perspective on basic BPM topics with the BPM perspective expressed in van der Aalst (2013), we present new research topics that extend existing BPM use cases. We also present new research directions that go beyond those use cases. Taken together, the extensions of the existing use cases and the new use cases lead to a more balanced BPM research agenda that blends technical and managerial challenges more fully

Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Strategies in Small- and Medium-sized Manufacturing Enterprises

The difficulty SME leaders of manufacturing firms experience in the executing of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems threatens the longevity of innovative change within firms seeking to adopt ERP systems. Grounded in the diffusion of innovation theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to examine critical success factors used to successfully implement ERP systems. The participants were four ERP business leaders of small to medium size manufacturing firms based on the east and west coasts of the United States. Data were collected using semistructured online interviews and a review of company documents. Through thematic analysis, five themes were identified: company culture and business process strategy; diffusion of innovation theory and digital transformation strategies in ERP; planning, managing, and leading strategies; change management strategies in ERP; and methods of implementation lessons learned. A key recommendation is for business leaders to identify causes of resistance to the organization-wide buy-in of new ERP systems. The implications for positive social change include the potential for successful change initiatives that impacts employment and economic health within their respective organizations and surrounding communities

ROLE OF MIDDLE MANAGERS IN MODULAR DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: THE CASE OF SERVU

In the information systems (IS) literature, there is a gap in understanding the role of middle managers (MMs) in the digital transformation in organizations. IS research has focused on understanding top management and user roles in IT-related transformational change but the role of MMs has rarely been examined. To fill this gap, this paper reports on an open-ended exploration of the influence and contribution of the MMs in the digital transformation of a large Finnish public sector meal production company. Data were collected from a ten-year digital transformation effort in the company. The analysis suggests that MMs play an active role in influencing both top management and end users and importantly shows that the role MMs play differs from one stage to another of the digital transformation of the organisation. The study identifies a three-stage model of modular digital transformation, where MMs acted as implementers and negotiators in the initial core digitalisation stage of digital transformation, as champions in the digital expansion stage, and as shakers and strategists in the shake down and complementary stage. The paper concludes by discussing the implications for theory and highlighting the practical consequences of our results