Journal
TECHNOLOGICAL FORECASTING AND SOCIAL CHANGE
Volume 175, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE INC
DOI: 10.1016/j.techfore.2021.121411
Keywords
Top management support; Hermeneutics; Hermeneutic circle; Digital transformation; Information systems implementation; ERP systems; Technology Management; Leadership
Categories
Ask authors/readers for more resources
In information systems research, top management support is seen as crucial for successful digital transformation. However, this study reveals the dark side of top management support, showing that it can lead to costly implementation and operational confusion. The style and approach of top management support are key in determining its impact.
In information systems (IS) research, top management support is typically seen as an exclusively positive phenomenon that is key to any successful digital transformation including IS implementation and associated organizaational, operational and startegic chnage. . Surprisingly, this view contrasts with the findings of organization studies research, which reveal a dark side of top management support. We propose that this chasm in the research findings may result from: (1) IS research taking a single-sided view of a dialectic phenomenon; or (2) IS implementation being a phenomenon within which top management support can only ever play a positive role. This study examines these propositions by employing a hermeneutical analysis of a published case study on the implementation of an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. The findings support the first proposition, revealing that senior management hyperopia and overconfidence could lead to significant operational confusion and a costly implementation. The study contributes to IS research by revealing that the style and approach of top management support are key to determining the impact of that support and whether it is positive and/or negative. It also extends management research on the dark side of top management to the domain of IS implementation and organizational change, in addition to providing a thorough application of hermeneutical analysis.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available