Understanding the determinants of evaluation, adoption and routinisation of ERP technology (Enterprise Resource Planning) in the context of agricultural farms

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor in Information Management, specialization in Information and Decision SystemsThe purpose of this thesis is to investigate the determinants of the adoption of ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) technology in agricultural farms in Brazil. The data were collected in 502 personal interviews with farmers of soy, corn, cotton, coffee, beans, wheat, peanuts, fruits, sugarcane and cattle raising, The data gathering instrument used for the quantitative research was built based on the result of the qualitative study in combination with three theories: Diffusion of Innovation Theory (DOI), Technology-Organization-Environment Framework (TOE), and Interorganizational Relations (IORs). Structural Equations (SEM) methodology was used to analyze the data and hypothesis. The results indicate the significant drivers for Evaluation, Adoption, and Routinisation. Also, we analyzed the ERP impact on farm performance based on resource-based view (RBV). We hope this work can bring a theoretical and practical contribution for the agribusiness field and also increase debates about the platforms on cloud computer based on ERP, Enterprise 2,0 and Industry 4.0. The results this thesis provide information to agribusiness owners, managers and administrators to promote and incentivize the use of ERP

Brazilian farmer perception of dynamic capability and performance over the adoption of enterprise resource planning technology

Haberli Júnior, C., Spers, E. E., Oliveira, T., & Yanaze, M. (2020). Brazilian farmer perception of dynamic capability and performance over the adoption of enterprise resource planning technology. International Food and Agribusiness Management Review, 23(4), 515-528. https://doi.org/10.22434/IFAMR2020.0029The study investigates the perceptions of the effects and impacts on the performance of agricultural and livestock farms based on the view of obtaining dynamic capabilities by the adoption of enterprise resource planning (ERP) technology. The dimensions for measuring farmers’ perceptions of ERP adoption were technological, organizational and environmental and their diffusion and the impacts measured on dynamic capabilities were on internal operations, costs, sales and natural resources. A total of 502 farmers directly involved in managing the production, located in the main agricultural areas of Brazil were interviewed. The results indicated that the perception of obtaining dynamic capabilities in the farms by adopting the ERP was significant, but with lower levels in costs and natural resources. The influence of farm size on ERP adoption and its perception on farm performance was not significant. The proposed model proved to be adequate and can be validated and compared with other producing regions.publishersversionpublishe

Agri-food 4.0: drivers and links to innovation and eco-innovation

Digital transformation affects all stages of the agri-food value chain. Digitalisation is being combined with innovations and eco-innovations to gain a competitive advantage and ensure greater sustained competitiveness. However, not all technologies have been implemented in the same way and at the same pace by the different companies in the agri-food sector. The aim of this research is to identify the internal and external drivers of digitalisation in agri-food companies and to develop a synthetic index to rank companies based on those drivers, before examining the relationship between the position in the ranking and innovation. The results reveal that the decisive drivers are management support and competitive pressure rather than external support from government policies or suppliers. Higher ranking companies in terms of the digitalisation process are more proactive in introducing product and radical innovations and are the most eco-innovative and thus sustainability-oriented. Finally, results show that the digitalisation of the sector is marked by the depth of technology implementation, specifically IoT, big data and artificial intelligence. Blockchain technology does not currently make a difference as it is not widely used.This work has been supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, AEI/10.13039/501100011033 and the FEDER Funds (EU) “Una manera de hacer Europa”, through the RTI2018-093791-B-C21 and RTI2018-093791-B-C22 research projects

The application of the TOE framework to the adoption of CRM by SMEs in KwaZulu Natal

Purpose: Small And Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play an important role in the development of economies despite a plethora of problems that stifle their growth. The study unpacked the application of the Technological, Organisational, Environmental (TOE) framework as a guide for the adoption of CRM strategies. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research method was used to evaluate these factors. The adoption of Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is one of the solutions that can help SMEs to endure and overcome economic hardships. Findings: The benefits  that can be derived from CRM are too compelling to pass up the opportunity and indeed, the future prosperity of SMEs may lie in CRM adoption. Research limitations/implications: Even though technological, environmental, organisational factors are paramount,  education, stood out as the major driver of adoption. Practical implications: This study therefore concludes that the TOE framework needs to be extended by education and contextualised to the geo-political and social settings of the SMEs under investigation. Originality/value: This paper is original Paper type: a Research Pape

Proposal of a method to support the implementation of vertical integration in the context of Industry 4.0

One of the fundamental principles of Industry 4.0 in the field of intelligent manufacturing is the implementation of vertical integration, that is, the integration of information systems at the different hierarchical levels of the company to provide data flow over time and support decisionmaking. However, the academic literature still needs to present empirical evidence on how vertical integration and the technologies that compose it can be implemented to contribute to the requirements of Industry 4.0. Although vertical integration is presented as a solution to the need for data visibility that Industry 4.0 requires, it is known that there are different ways to implement vertical integration that depend on the desired operational objectives and the characteristics of the companies. Therefore, the technological sets of vertical integration can have different ways of contributing to achieving greater visibility of production processes. This thesis aims to propose a methodology to support companies in the implementation of vertical integration that allows companies to advance in Industry 4.0. The study followed a mixed approach, combining qualitative and quantitative methods. In qualitative terms, the thesis presents a multi-case study of 10 leading manufacturing companies in implementing 4.0 technologies, aiming to understand the main factors that influence these companies in adopting information systems for vertical integration. Furthermore, a multi-case qualitative study in 3 buyer-supplier dyads to understand the implications of information asymmetry in MES purchasing allows vertical integration in Industry 4.0. On the other hand, in quantitative terms, the thesis presents a survey conducted with 132 companies in the machinery and equipment sector, through which the contribution of cybersecurity actions to vertical integration is analyzed, making it possible to achieve greater digital transformation. This thesis demonstrates that the implementation of vertical integration is challenging for companies due to its complexity and novelty but that the methodologies presented contribute to clarifying this implementation. Furthermore, it explores the limitations and nuances of these contributions in different situations. The main contribution of this study is to provide empirical evidence of methodologies that support companies in the implementation of vertical integration in the context of Industry 4.0.Um dos princípios fundamentais da Indústria 4.0 no domínio da manufatura inteligente é a implementação da integração vertical, ou seja, a integração dos sistemas de informação dos diferentes níveis hierárquicos da empresa para fornecer fluxo de dados no tempo e suporte à tomada de decisão. Contudo, a literatura acadêmica ainda não tem apresentado evidências empíricas sobre a forma como a integração vertical e as tecnologias que a compõe podem ser implementadas de maneira a contribuir com os requisitos da Indústria 4.0. Embora integração vertical seja apresentada como uma solução para necessidade de visibilidade de dados que a Indústria 4.0 requer, é sabido que existem diferentes caminhos para implementação da integração vertical que dependem dos objetivos operacionais almejados e das características das empresas. Portanto, os conjuntos tecnológicos da integração vertical podem ter diferentes formas de contribuição para alcançar uma maior visibilidade dos processos de produção. O objetivo desta tese é propor uma metodologia para suportar as empresas na implementação de integração vertical que permita que as empresas avancem na Indústria 4.0. O estudo seguiu uma abordagem mista, combinando métodos qualitativos e quantitativo. Em termos qualitativos, a tese apresenta um estudo multicasos em 10 empresas de manufatura líderes na implantação de tecnologias 4.0, visando entender os principais fatores que influenciam essas empresas na adoção de sistemas de informação para integração vertical. E ainda, um estudo qualitativo multicascos em 3 díades de comprador e fornecedor para compreender as implicações da assimetria da informação na compra de MES que permita a integração vertical na Indústria 4.0. Por outro lado, em termos quantitativos, a tese apresenta uma pesquisa survey conduzida com 134 empresas do setor de máquinas e equipamentos, através da qual se analisa a contribuição de ações em cibersegurança na integração vertical possibilita alcançar maior transformação digital. A presente tese demonstra que, de fato, a implementação da integração vertical é desafiadora para as empresas devido sua complexidade e novidade, mas que as metodologias apresentadas contribuem para o esclarecimento dessa implementação. Além disso, explora as limitações e nuances dessas contribuições em diferentes situações. A principal contribuição deste estudo é fornecer evidências empíricas de metodologias que suportem as empresas na implementação de integração vertical no contexto da Indústria 4.0

User Satisfaction Factors of ERP Systems: The Case of a Manufacturing Company in Sri Lanka

The purpose of this study was to examine the factors influencing the user satisfaction of ERP systems. A research model was developed based on prior literature and six hypotheses were proposed. For data collection purpose, a questionnaire was developed by adopting questionnaire items from previous and established literature. Study focused on Alpha company as the case company of this study. The questionnaires were distributed and data were collected from all 45 employees who were using the ERP system. Multiple regression analysis revealed that information content, format, timeliness of the output are the critical success factors affecting the user satisfaction of the ERP system. The present research contributed to the theory by testing a new research model on user satisfaction. It further has implications for the managers by emphasizing the areas to be focused to increase user satisfaction, which would in turn lead to successful and effective use of the ERP system. Keywords: ERP, User satisfaction, User adoption, Manufacturing sector, Sri Lanka DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-33-12 Publication date: November 30th 201

A multiple case study of ERP system implementations in Australia

The plethora of business benefits that Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems can potentially deliver has led to an unprecedented level of ERP systems adoption by business organisations in the last decade, resulting in a global market value of US$32 billion in 2016. While ERP systems are reputed for their many beneficial outcomes, both tangible and intangible, ERP implementation is also well-known to be full of challenges, generating organisational-wide disruptions. Not all adopters have been able to reap the anticipated ERP benefits, despite the huge investments they expended on ERP implementations. Though an extensive range of studies exists on how organisational factors, such as change management, organisational inertia, organisational learning and innovation, affect ERP implementation outcomes, few have examined how these factors interact with one another to drive ERP benefits. Fewer still have related the benefits achieved to the interactions between organisational factors. One of the reasons has been attributed to the reliance on cross-sectional analysis, such as focusing exclusively on evaluating post-implementation outcomes using finance and/or operational data, without accounting for the “lag and learning” process of ERP adoption. More importantly, the social dimension of ERP implementation has been given scant attention. This research explores the contributory role of organisational factors, covering both the technical and social aspects, in generating benefits from ERP implementation. Using a qualitative multiple case study approach, it investigated the ERP implementation journey of nine Australian companies that spanned systems acquisition to system extension post-implementation. Specifically, the study examined how the nine case organisations undertook change management, engaged in organisational learning and strategic innovations to derive a host of ERP-related benefits, both expected and unexpected. Expecting a disparate range of implementation tactics being employed by these companies, this study drew on the tenets of the Contingency Theory complemented by the Competing Value Framework (CVF) to address two research questions: • How do ERP adopting organisations respond to the contingent factors to secure ERP system benefits? What proactive actions do they take? • What has been the range of benefits achieved by ERP adopting organisations? How and why do these benefits change over time? This research is grounded on the epistemological belief that understanding social process warrants penetrating into the world of those generating it, which forms the undergirding principle of interpretivism. The study comprised two main stages. Stage One involved i) identifying and selecting business organisations that had implemented an ERP system, which went live recently, as case study candidates; ii) interviewing ERP managers with first-hand knowledge of the entire ERP implementation process; and iii) thematically coding the interview transcripts using hermeneutic principles. Stage Two was the data analysis, which consisted of a within-case analysis and a cross-case comparison. The within-case analysis unearthed 10 contingent constructs that underpinned the ERP implementation process of the nine case companies. The cross-case comparison led to the formulation of an ERP implementation process model that links the ERP implementation constructs to the benefits generated at different stages of the implementation. Putting the range of ERP benefits onto the CVF framework, this study offers seven working propositions for theory building. This study contributes to theory development in ERP implementation in three ways. First, by examining the ERP implementation process of organisations through the combined lens of contingency theory and CVF, this study has revealed how organisational factors can impact the types of ERP benefits derived at different implementation stages as well as post-implementation. Second, it developed a process model that shows how the benefit drivers embedded within the organisational factors interact to create opportunities for organisational learning and innovation, and promote a fit between the ERP technology, business and endusers. The process model could also serve as an ERP project implementation guide to aid project teams to manage changes, offering a tool for practitioners to direct appropriate resources to maximise the benefits expected during ERP implementation, optimise the ERP system capabilities and avoid costly unproductive expenditure. Lastly, grounded on the implementation experience of nine organisations, the working propositions derived offer basic building blocks for developing a theory of benefit-oriented ERP implementation management

Research on the value-added path and management mechanism of the whole agricultural industry chain based on the value network

The key to fostering the growth and prosperity of China's rural industry is to realize the added value of the entire industrial chain. This article focuses primarily on enhancing the value of the entire agricultural supply chain. Based on a systematic analysis of the existing value-added methods of agriculture and the theory of the entire industry chain and value network, it combines the multifunctional and multidimensional value attributes of the entire agricultural industry—the entire farming industry—under the value network. And put forward the value reconstruction network system and value-added method of "platform ecosystem + agricultural industry cluster," information resource optimization and integration, cultural value fusion, knowledge creation, and information resource sharing, value Internet relationship management, information virtual value chain management, and utilization of Internet technology innovation for driving value chain mechanism, etc., can promote the value-added effectively. Rejuvenate and expand the entire agricultural supply chain. For operation research to help ensure the future success of agricultural value chains, practitioners must comprehend and model the value chain as a complex adaptive system.Lei Chaofan (Management and Science University), Zunirah Mohd Talib (Graduate School of Management, Postgraduate Centre, Management and Science University), Liang Ruihua (Academic Committee, Henan University of Technology), Brian Sheng-Xian Teo (Graduate School of Management, Academic Affairs Department, Management and Science University)Includes bibliographical reference

Information Systems Foundations: Theory Building in Information Systems

This volume presents the papers from the fifth biennial Information Systems Foundations Workshop, held at The Australian National University in Canberra from 30 September to 1 October 2010. The focus of the workshop was, as for the others in the series, the foundations of information systems as an academic discipline. The emphasis in the 2010 workshop was on theory building in information systems, which is a non-trivial and difficult issue because the field deals with such a wide range of phenomena, from the highly technological in nature to the distinctly human and organisational in focus. The theory building problem stems from the fact that the sciences that underlie and deal with technologically-oriented fields generally result in theories that fit within the ‘covering law’ model—that is, are assumed and believed to have universal applicability and explanatory and predictive power—whereas, by contrast, theories in the human sciences are generally much more conditional, contextual, tentative and open to exceptions. Successfully marrying the two is, not surprisingly, a challenge that the chapters in this volume explore

Exploring Factors Influencing Organizational Adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Initiatives

Background: Globalization has resulted in social, economic, political, commercial, and technological integration. A social problem needs a global collaborative view to find a solution. Wide-ranging partnerships are essential to achieve developmental goals, with public and private partners pooling their resources and competencies. The private sector contributes by engaging in corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. These initiatives can significantly impact by leveraging emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI). While many support AI, some believe that AI is a threat to humanity. With mixed attitudes towards AI, its adoption in CSR is somewhat limited. This research leverages the Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework to explore factors influencing AI adoption intention from an organizational perspective. Method: The factors were identified from a thorough literature review and mapped with Carroll\u27s CSR framework. The theorized model was tested via a sample response of 124 Indian firms. Results: The findings of this research share insight into the influence of the nine technological, organizational, and environmental factors and dives deeper through the post-hoc analysis of the variations due to the size of the firm, public or private orientation, and industry sector. Conclusions: Along with the contributions to literature and theory, this research study has several significant contributions to firms, AI products, service companies, AI strategists, and application developers