The social shaping of packaged software selection

As organisations increasingly engage in the selection, purchase, and adoption of packaged software products, howthese activities are carried out in practice becomes increasingly relevant for researchers and practitioners. Ourfocus in this paper is to propose a framework for understanding the packaged software selection process. Thefunctionalist literature on this area of study suggests a number of generic recommendations, which are based onrational assumptions about the process and view the decision making that takes place as producing the “besttechnology solution.’” To explore this, we conducted a longitudinal, in-depth study of packaged software selectionin a small organisation. For interpretation of the case, we draw upon the Social Construction of Technology, atheoretical framework arguing that technology is socially constituted and regarding the process of development ascontradictory and uncertain. We offer a number of contributions. First, we further our understanding of packagedsoftware selection with the critique that we offer of the functionalist literature, drawing insights from the emergingcritical/constructivist literature and expanding our domain of interest to encompass the wider environment. Second,we weave this together with our experiences in the field, drawing on social constructivism for theoretical support, todevelop a framework of packaged software selection that shows how various actors shape the process

Risky business: when a CRM vendor masqueraded as an ERP specialist

Taking a social shaping perspective we unpack the development trajectory of a packaged software product to show, that contrary to mainstream accounts, design is not completely specified a-priori and that the process continues throughout implementation, and use. We show how developers, in this case third party vendors, can continue to engage in shaping packages during implementation and also how users contribute to the development effort. In particular, we illustrate how a customer relationship management package application targeted at a particular organisational function was configured to make an enterprise wide system and the key role of the vendor in this effort. To do this we refer to a 3- year qualitative field study of an expanding United Kingdom based consultancy company undergoing extreme ICT related change. This empirical research is used to explore an often ignored phenomenon, that of the role of vendors in appropriating ICTs and the potential risks they bring. Through this, we highlight the plight and responsibilities of low-level organisational actors in this process in cognisance of the fact they usually have a minor role in ICT selection but become a major player in dealing with vendors at the implementation stage when the devil is truly in the detail. The risks we identify relate to: vendor sales pitches of products as specifically related to their capabilities and the products they put forward; the calling upon of organisational resources by vendors; vendor knowledge of the application are and the actual ‘social’, ‘technical’ and ‘organisational’ capabilities of vendors to deliver a working product. We also point to the risks managers in vendor and consumer organisations create by placing their staff in difficult conditions within appropriation processes. The implications of our work centre on the need for further research related to: vendor/developer risks of packaged software, custom and open source projects; notions of professionalism and ethics in the software industry and project working conditions

Reasons behind ERP package adoption: a diffusion of innovations perspective

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) packages have been widely adopted and it is becoming clear that this is driven by multiple rationales that may be simultaneously at odds and complimentary. In this paper, we aim to develop a greater understanding of these rationales by taking ERP packages to be innovations and analysing their adoption with reference to the theory of diffusion of innovations. In particular, we consider the attributes of ERP packages that may affect their adoption such as relative advantage, compatibility, complexiblity, trialability and observability. We argue that users’ perceptions of these attributes are not always accurate and these ’misconceptions’ can further explain reasons for ERP adoption or rejection. Although our analysis aims to provide rich insights into the adoption of ERP packages, the results of the study are arguably of further interest to the more general study of packaged software and the more established literature on custom development

Selling packaged software: an ethical analysis

Within the IS literature there is little discussion on selling software products in general and especially from the ethical point of view. Similarly, within computer ethics, although there is much interest in professionalism and professional codes, in terms of accountability and responsibility, the spotlight tends to play on safety-critical or life-critical systems, rather than on software oriented towards the more mundane aspects of work organisation and society. With this research gap in mind, we offer a preliminary ethical investigation of packaged software selling. Through an analysis of the features of competition in the market, the global nature of the packaged software market and the nature of product development we conclude that professionalism, as usually conceived in computer ethics, does not apply particularly well to software vendors. Thus, we call for a broader definition of professionalism to include software vendors, not just software developers. Moreover, we acknowledge that with intermediaries, such as implementation consultants, involved in software selling, and the packaged software industry more generally, there are even more “hands” involved. Therefore, we contend that this is an area worthy of further study, which is likely to yield more on the question of accountability

Social Shaping of Enterprise System Acquisition and Development: The Influence of Reference Users in XiZi Holdings

In this research-in-progress paper, we present a preliminary model of how reference users shape enterprise systems (ES) acquisition and development based on the case study of Xizi Holdings, one of the largest private enterprises in China. Our model draws on the theoretical lens of the social shaping of technology in the context of streamlining complex packaged ES adoption. The model is built on stage-wise observations of the roles that reference users play across the ES acquisition and development process. Our preliminary model identifies three intermediary mechanisms (i.e. attaching, staging and shaping of technology) that are enabled by reference users in the process of negotiating ES acquisition and development. It contributes to the existing discourse in recent IS research on the expanding role of users in influencing the development of packaged enterprise systems and their acquisition

Social Shaping Leadership in Enterprise System Acquisition and Development: The Influence of Reference Users in Xizi Holdings

Acquisition and development remains an important aspect of enterprise systems research. In practice, it means reference users interact in and across organizations to fill gaps in knowledge and offer their experience as models or standards for others. Despite their importance, how reference users influence the acquisition process and the role of IT in its development have received scant attention. This paper presents a study of how reference users shape and lead the acquisition and development of enterprise systems (ES). We derive our findings from investigating and conducting a case study on Xizi Holdings, one of the largest private enterprises in China. Our model deploys a theoretical lens of the social shaping of technology in the context of inter-organizational ES adoption. We build the model on stage-wise observations of the roles that reference users play across the ES acquisition and development process in Xizi, and how Xizi brings together hundreds of autonomous IT systems across 128 subsidiaries under one enterprise-wide vision. Our study model identifies three intermediary mechanisms (i.e., attaching, staging, and shaping of technology) that reference users in the process of negotiating ES acquisition and development enable

Culture change in a professional sports team: Shaping environmental contexts and regulating power

Although high performing cultures are crucial for the enduring success of professional sport performance teams, theoretical and practical understanding of how they are established and sustained is lacking. To develop knowledge in this area, a case study was undertaken to examine the key mechanisms and processes of a successful culture change programme at English Rugby Union’s Leeds Carnegie. Exploring the change process from a 360 degree perspective, semi-structured interviews were conducted with team management, one specialist coach, six players, and the CEO. Analysed and explained through decentred theory, results revealed that culture change was effectively facilitated by team management: a) subtly and covertly shaping the physical, structural, and psychosocial context in which support staff and players made performance-impacting choices, and b) regulating the ‘to and fro’ of power which characterises professional sport performance teams. Decentred theory is also supported as an effective framework for culture change study

Technological Frames of Reference in Software Acquisition Decisions: Results of a Multiple Case Study

Packaged software has gained importance across organizations. While literature has studied the adoption and implementation of packaged software extensively, research on software acquisition has been limited. Especially, scholars have called for more research from a sociological point of view. Software acquisition projects are complex endeavors during which multiple stakeholders and perspectives interact. With this study, we strive to illustrate social interactions in software acquisition decisions through the theoretical lens of technological frames of reference. We conducted a multiple case study with 15 experts from IT, business, and procurement. We find evidence for distinct technological frames across departments that are combined during the software acquisition process, ultimately resulting in common understanding and consensus. Furthermore, we identify eight salient framing effects that facilitate this dynamic alignment of frames. Our results allow for an extension of technological frames of reference theory and support decision makers in optimizing their software acquisition decisions and processes