UNDERSTANDING ORGANIZATION-ENTERPRISE SYSTEM FIT: A PATH TO THEORIZING THE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ARTIFACT

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Strong, Diane M.; Volkoff, Olga
• 署名单位: Worcester Polytechnic Institute; Simon Fraser University
• 刊物名称: MIS QUARTERLY
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0276-7783
• 发表日期: 2010
• 页码: 731-756
• 关键词: erp implementation; cognitive fit; package; MODEL; misalignment; PERSPECTIVE; software; tools

摘要

Packaged software applications such as enterprise systems are designed to support generic rather than specific requirements, and hence are likely to be an imperfect fit in any particular instance. Using critical realism as our philosophical perspective, we conducted a three-year qualitative study of misfits that arose from an enterprise system (ES) implementation. A detailed analysis of the observed misfits resulted in a richer understanding of the concept of fit and of the ES artifact itself Specifically, we found six misfit domains (functionality, data, usability, role, control and organizational culture) and within each, two types of misfit (deficiencies and impositions). These misfit types correspond to two newly defined types of fit: fit as coverage and fit as enablement. Our analysis of fit also revealed a new conceptualization of the ES artifact, with implications for IT artifacts in general.