Development of a user-resistance-aware framework for implementing enterprise resource planning systems

Abstract

Although Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are one of the most important developments in corporate information systems, their implementation process is usually problematic, and many challenges in different aspects come along during the implementation of these large integrated systems. Amongst them, the human-related issues potentially affect ERP implementation projects and decrease their success rate dramatically. Numerous studies have shown that user resistance is the most influential failure factor for such projects. Existing ERP implementation process models usually cover the technical aspects and steps of the implementation and do not face the humanrelated aspects of the process such as resistance to the new system and processes, and organisational conflicts and politics which arise during this huge organisational change. Also, the extant theories of resistance to IS implementation largely adopt a narrow approach to dealing with user resistance and, hence, the solutions provided by them are fragmented and cannot present a holistic approach to our problem (i.e. understanding and dealing with human resistance in the process of implementing ERP systems). This research proposes to use change management body of knowledge as an overarching perspective to deal with resistance in the process of ERP implementation which could provide a more holistic and coherent approach to understand and address such problem, and could enrich the implementation process models in terms of encountering human-related issues (i.e. user resistance). Accordingly, the Kotter’s change model was identified as an appropriate model for such projects, particularly due to the role of power and politics in the system implementation process. The study maps Kotter’s change ii model with ERP implementation process models, and introduces a userresistance-aware framework. To improve this framework, the theories of resistance to information systems implementation are reviewed, and sources of resistance and also the strategies suggested by each theory are categorised according to the process stages. The framework is evaluated and improved through conducting three case studies, during which it is also investigated that how people’s reactions (resistance instances) to the new system could be mapped chronologically against the implementation stages. The final framework mainly helps in understanding the complexity of the issues and improving the change readiness, and can be used as a practical guide for companies and IT project managers. It encourages the organisations to proactively deal with the situation and hence, help people cope with the new routines and environment more conveniently and smoothly, which ultimately improve the success rate of adopting such systems.