This paper presents a critical approach to the way organizations justify adopting enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. An earlier critical theory provides a framework for exploring the themes of communication, rationality and domination. Technology, process and organization are forms of domination that may appear in the context of ERP adoption. The literature on the formal and informal (qualitative) justi cation of information technology investment is reviewed and assessed. The signi cance of ERP systems is examined and also motives for their adoption. The data used for the study are electronically mediated justi cations of ERP adoption that were presented by universities. A content analysis is applied to these data. The paper concludes that, despite reservations about the sensitivity of domination and emancipation to identication and measurement, there is some evidence to suggest people are considered to occupy a subservient role to technology, process and organization.
The case study on which this article is based describes a two-and-ahalf month long strike of Israeli academic staff members. During the strike, e-mail was used as the major means of communication between the strikers. Analysis of the e-mail messages demonstrates that e-mail served as a secret weapon, enabling the strikers to succeed in what was presumed to be a hopeless battle.nations (eg., avoidance of e-mail adoption
PurposeThis research seeks to investigate the introduction of new information and communication technology systems and to describe the development of a conceptual model of enterprise resource‐planning systems adoption based on the published rationales organizations use to justify their adoption.Design/methodology/approachThe study uses a grounded theory approach to building the conceptual model from electronically distributed documents. These documents were selected from a sample of universities which adopted enterprise resource‐planning systems.FindingsThis paper reports on the use of grounded theory in the internet context. The study found that there were strong similarities between justifications and reported motives. The study noted that justifications concerning financial, work‐life and organisational‐mission issues were relatively minor.Research limitations/implicationsThis model is built on published justifications, which should not be confused with motives. This picture may distort reality by over‐emphasising some rationales and under‐representing others.Practical implicationsThis paper may be of interest to researchers considering the use of grounded theory in their research project.Originality/valueThis paper describes how grounded theory was used to construct a model of the rationales for adopting enterprise resource‐planning systems from electronically sourced documents. The paper is of interest to researchers in information systems and those conducting grounded theory research on the internet.
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