Critical success factors for ERP systems’ post-implementations of SMEs in Saudi Arabia: a top management and vendors’ perspective

Although numerous case studies have determined the critical success factors (CSFs) for enterprise resource planning (ERP) during the adoption and implementation stages, empirical investigations of CSFs for ERP in post-implementation stages (after going live) are in scarcity. As such, this study examined the influence of top management support and vendor support as CSFs on the post-implementation stage of ERP systems in small and medium enterprises (SMEs) established in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). A total of 177 end-users of ERP systems from two manufacturing organizations in KSA that had implemented on-premises ERP systems were involved in this study. Data gathered from structured questionnaires were analyzed using SmartPLS3 and SPSS software programs. The regression analysis was performed to assess the correlations among the variables. Out of seven CSFs identified from the literature, the impact of top management support was significant on user training, competency of internal Information Technology (IT) department, and effective communication between departments, but insignificant on continuous vendor support. Meanwhile, continuous vendor support had a significant influence on continuous integration of the system, but was insignificant on user interfaces and custom code. The study outcomes may serve as practical guidance for effective post-implementation in ERP systems. Referring to the proposed research model, ERP post-implementation success in KSA was significantly influenced by top management support, whereas continuous vendor support displayed a substantial impact on the continuous integration of ERP systems

User resistance factors in post ERP implementation

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems are becoming mature technologies to support inter- and intracompany business processes. However, one of the factors frequently cited as the major reason for the failure of ERP system in post implementation is “User Resistance”. ERP implementation doesn’t finish after Go-Live, instead the real test of system starts when user begins using the system. The main purpose of this study is to investigate user resistance factors in ERP post implementation stage and the influence between the factors associated with the research model. Correlation analysis is used to investigate the influence between user resistances. To achieve this objectives quantitative method were conducted with 95 ERP end users. The result shows Resistance due to change, Change in Job content, User Expectations, Increased efforts, Lack of Education and User training, Usability issues and resistance to technology, Lack of user involvement in the development process, and Lack of communication between top management and end users are the factors behind user resistance. Recommendations and guideline to avoid user resistance in ERP post implementation are also presented. The benefits and outcomes of this study shall aid organizations to overcome user resistance in post ERP implementation

Using Theory Integration to Explain Online Impulse Buying Behavior in Social Commerce

Online Impulse Buying Behavior (IBB) significantly increases and contributes to the total S-commerce revenue. Hence, understanding such behavior is critical for an online business to strengthen competitiveness, enhance revenue, and ensure business sustainability. The majority of the prior research used urge-to-buy (UBI) to examine online IBB instead of the actual IBB. Hence, the studies that differentiate between UBI and IBB are limited. Moreover, these studies have concentrated on the impact of consumer characteristics, website, and marketing factors, but they neglected the role of social factors. This study integrated Social Influence and Uses and Gratifications Theories to explore the social factors affecting online IBB. The findings indicate that social influences, entertainment, purposive value, and maintaining interpersonal connectivity influence IBB significantly. UBI also mediates the relationships between social influences and IBB. Impulsiveness moderates the indirect relationships between compliance, internalization, and IBB through UBI. This study has practical implications for social commerce designers, marketers, and managers