The influence of organisational culture and organisational control on the diffusion of a management information system

The aim of this thesis is to provide an original interpretative understanding of the role of organisational culture and organisational control on the diffusion of a Management Information Systems (MIS). An extensive literature review has revealed a lack of synthesis between organisational culture and organisational control in the understanding of diffusion of an MIS. The literature review was two-fold: firstly, to examine the impact of organisational culture on IS diffusion and, secondly, to examine the impact of organisational control on IS diffusion. The first stage of the review revealed that there are a number of studies on IS diffusion in relation to culture at the organisational level but a relatively fewer studies at the sub-organisational or subcultural level. The second stage of the review highlights that there is also a significant number of studies that have applied the control concept to investigating phenomena related to IS diffusion, e.g. IT adoptions and IT implementations, but very few have explicitly applied the control concept to IT implementations outcomes, i.e. IT diffusion. The review also suggested that there is scarce empirical research on IS diffusion from the twin perspectives of culture and control. Using an interpretive case study approach, this thesis was able to collect rich data, underpinned by Martin’s (1992) conceptualisation of organisational culture, i.e. integration and differentiation, and Kirsch's (1997) and Ouchi's (1979) conceptualisation of organisational controls. These conceptualisations served as interpretive lenses to unearth the dynamic relationship of the application of formal controls on diverging subcultures during staff interactions and use of an MIS during the adaptation, acceptance and routinization stages of Cooper and Zmud's (1990) IT Implementation Model. The thesis' results highlight a number of contributions to knowledge. Firstly, a contribution is made in the area of IS diffusion research by proposing a conceptual model for IS diffusion. The model offers explanations on how IS diffusion could be achieved despite the existence of diverging subcultures when formal control mechanisms are applied, an implication that suggests that the IS diffusion path may not be smooth and linear but an iterative process. Secondly, a contribution is made in the area of organisational culture and organisational control theories. This thesis' results indicate that during the implementation of an MIS, staffespoused cultural values changed, highlighting that the culture may not be always stable, and difficult to change. The thesis helps re-conceptualise the existing typology on outcome control by indicating that outcome control, which is conceptualised as deliberate and forceful in nature, could also, unlike behaviour control, be exercised in measures that do not need to coerce or be forceful. Further, the thesis highlights that sanctions rather than rewards were more effective in the application of controls during the diffusion attempts of an IS. Finally, the research contributes to knowledge in the area of practice. This study provides insights on how managers may apply organisational controls to align diverging subgroup members' actions towards integrative behaviours during an IS implementation process, therefore facilitating the attainment of successful IS diffusion

Revisiting the trajectory of IT implementation in organisations: An IT culture perspective

Purpose - Organisational implementations of information technology (IT) normally fail due to cultural forces that inhibit the usage levels required to facilitate successful IT implementation. This paper explores IT implementation from an IT Culture perspective (Leidner and Kayworth, 2006). In particular, it identifies and follows the trajectory of IT culture archetypes that emerge during the implementation process and further investigates their role in facilitating successful IT implementations. Design/methodology/approach – This research adopts the qualitative single case study approach and draws on the implementation of a management information system (MIS) in a Nigerian global bank. Findings – The findings illustrate three different IT culture archetypes and provide insights into their dynamic nature. The progressive weakening of two IT culture archetypes and the corresponding strengthening of the third archetype shows how initial vision conflicts can get transformed into vision agreements. Originality/value – This paper extends the IT Culture perspective by illustrating how a congruence relationship between IT cultures and IT artefacts can be fostered. The paper shows how diverse IT cultures can develop reasonably quickly in line with initial user experiences of a system. When IT cultures are aligned with the values embedded in IT, positive engagement and usage of the technology results, strengthening the presence of embracing IT cultures

The role of formal controls in facilitating information system diffusion

Information systems (IS) studies highlight that IS usage, a pre-requisite for IS diffusion, may be difficult to attain when usage is voluntary because users can resist using the system. User resistance may be overcome through the application of organizational controls. Control theory explains how users' actions and practices are shaped in line with organizational guidelines and procedures. This paper reports on a qualitative case study and shows how formal control mechanisms (behavior and outcome controls) can have a positive and conclusive impact on IS diffusion. The paper makes three contributions to knowledge. First, it proposes a model of IS diffusion, which explains how the application of outcome control mechanisms can lead to IS diffusion despite user resistance. Second, it suggests that IS diffusion paths are iterative, rather than smooth and linear. Finally, the paper demonstrates that despite a lack of reward expectancy, sanction expectancy can be effective during an IS diffusion process

Enhancing organisational competitiveness via social media - a strategy as practice perspective

The affordances, popularity and pervasive use of social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram have made these platforms attractive to organisations for enhancing their competitiveness and creating business value. Despite this apparent significance of social media for businesses, they are struggling with the development of a social media strategy as well as understanding the implications of social media on practice within their organisations. This paper explores how social media has become a tool for competitiveness and its influence on organisational strategy and practice. Using the 'strategy as practice' lens and guided by the interpretivist philosophy, this paper uses the empirical case of a telecom organisation in Tanzania. The findings show that social media is influencing competitiveness through imitation and product development. Also, the findings indicate how social media affects the practices within an organisation, consequently making the social media strategy an emergent phenomenon

The Influence of Organizational Culture on the Outcome of an IS Implementation

A number of information system (IS) studies have adopted organizational culture (OC) theory to investigate IS implementations. The studies highlight that members will reach consensus or agreement in the use of an IS but also experience inevitable tensions and ambiguities in the use of the IS. However, literature related to IS implementation/OC has rarely examined the influence that the saliency of specific cultural practices may have on the success or failure of IS implementations. Using a case study approach, we adopted the “soft positivism” research philosophy to collect data, underpinned by Martin’s (1992) integration and differentiation perspectives of OC to study organizational implementation of an IS. These perspectives served as interpretive lenses through which to explain how members’ salient behaviors towards an IS evolved during the implementation process. Our study augments the IS implementation/OC literature by demonstrating how salient cultural practices influence the outcome of IS implementation

Achieving IT Acceptance – An Outcome Control Perspective

This paper provides a framework that describes the role organisational control can play in user acceptance of an information technology (IT). Using the case study approach, we adopted the “soft positivism” research philosophy, to investigate the development and acceptance of an IT from the outcome control perspective. Our framework highlights how outcome control mechanisms exercised during the development and acceptance/usage stages of an IT respectively. The framework also helps indicate that outcome control, which is conceptualised in the literature as deliberate and forceful in nature, could also, unlike behaviour control, be exercised in measures that do not need to coerce or be forceful. By adopting a control perspective on IT development and acceptance/usage, the framework can inform how senior management can influence the achievement of user acceptance of an IT after members’ resistance had occurred

How do technologists do “ICT for development”? A contextualised perspective on ICT4D in South Africa

We take a layered approach to contextualise Information Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) to understand digital technologists’ motivations to implement technologies to address socio-economic issues based on their capabilities and kinship affiliations. We adopt an interpretive approach to conducting an inductive qualitative study of digital technologists based in South Africa. We propose three mechanisms (emotional connectedness, user-centred technologies, and symbiotic relations) through which digital technologists undertake ICT4D to exercise their agency and enhance the socio-economic well-being of disadvantaged members of society. Taking the kinship perspective and capability approach as underlying motivations for undertaking ICT4D projects allows us to contribute to the ICT4D literature.</p

The influence of informal social media practices on knowledge sharing and work processes within organizations

Contemporary information technologies such as social media have invigorated the way knowledge is shared within organizations to the extent that we have to rethink and reassess our understanding of the role and influence of technology in organizational processes and knowledge sharing. This paper uses the strategy as practice lens guided by the interpretivist philosophy to understand the influence of informal social media practices on knowledge sharing and work processes within an organization. The paper uses empirical evidence from the case study of a telecom organization in Tanzania to gain theoretical insight into informal social media practices and knowledge sharing. This research contributes to the Information Systems (IS) literature by asserting that organizational processes are achieved by mundane knowledge sharing mediated by informal social media use within the organization. Also, the study contributes to IS literature by highlighting how emerging informal practices are essential to daily processes within organizations.</p