3 research outputs found
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 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 in some contexts, despite a lack of reward expectancy, sanction expectancy can be an effective force during the IS diffusion process