Enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPs) are commercial software packages that enable integration of information and business processes throughout the organization. Realizing the business value of information technology (IT) requires its successful assimilation by the firm. ERP assimilation refers to the effective application of this type of IT in supporting a firms business strategies and value-chain activities. To succeed at this, the IS function must continuously manage the adaptation between the organization and the ERP system, even after initial deployment. For this purpose, the IS function must continuously scan both the firms internal and external environment to identify new ERP adaptation opportunities that will allow the effective application of new ERP technologies to support the firms objectives. Also, it is important for the IS function to engage in evaluation activities to analyze and select those ERP adaptation opportunities with the greatest potential for impact on ERP assimilation. It is posited here that ERP scanning will have a direct positive effect on the firms level of ERP assimilation, and that this effect will be moderated by the extent of ERP evaluation activities. IS mindfulness, the degree of collective mindfulness present in the IS function, is also posited to moderate the relationship between ERP scanning and ERP assimilation. Collective mindfulness is an elevated state of alertness toward expectations, in the face of new and unprecedented situations or changes, with a nuanced appreciation of the specific context. IS mindfulness makes more likely the identification and realization of unexpected ERP adaptation opportunities leading to a higher level of ERP assimilation for the firm. A model is proposed to describe the relations among IS mindfulness, ERP scanning, ERP evaluation, and ERP assimilation. This model has been tested by collecting survey data from 113 firms. The results suggest that first, collective mindfulness is a construct with two dimensions: alertness/attention, a state of vigilant alertness, and change/situation, an awareness or knowledge of an unprecedented situation or change in the firms environment; second, scanning of the internal environment (scanning of needs) has a main effect on ERP assimilation, and this effect is moderated by the presence of IS mindfulness (alertness dimension), as predicted by the model; and third, ERP evaluation has rather a direct effect on ERP assimilation and does not moderate the scanning-assimilation relationship as expected.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:PITT/oai:PITTETD:etd-04042007-122530 |
| Date | 17 May 2007 |
| Creators | Mu, Enrique |
| Contributors | Richard L. Moreland, Laurie Kirsch, John Hulland, John E. Prescott, Brian S. Butler |
| Publisher | University of Pittsburgh |
| Source Sets | University of Pittsburgh |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-04042007-122530/ |
| Rights | unrestricted, I hereby certify that, if appropriate, I have obtained and attached hereto a written permission statement from the owner(s) of each third party copyrighted matter to be included in my thesis, dissertation, or project report, allowing distribution as specified below. I certify that the version I submitted is the same as that approved by my advisory committee. I hereby grant to University of Pittsburgh or its agents the non-exclusive license to archive and make accessible, under the conditions specified below, my thesis, dissertation, or project report in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known. I retain all other ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis, dissertation or project report. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis, dissertation, or project report. |
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