Abstract

Purpose-Organisations spend a lot of money, time and resources on Enterprise System (ES) implementation and often they do not realise the expected benefits from these complex systems. There is a gap in the literature in providing sufficient insight into the implementation process or how an ES might influence or contribute to a culture change. The aim of this article is to address the gap in the ES literature around culture by exploring the implementation that was undertaken within a large UK university. Design/methodology/approach-This paper contributes to the Higher Education (HE) and enterprise systems literature through an in-depth study of an enterprise system, SITS, implementation within a university in the UK. The study was undertaken over a three-year period where one of the authors was embedded within the organisation. Findings-Using a cultural analysis framework the extensive rich data was analysed and the outcomes indicate that SITS has had a huge influence on the culture of the university; the technology's rigid structure has imposed many changes that had not been anticipated. Originality-ES have recently emerged in the higher education sector where they are intended to support the management of student data and provide strategic management information. Although there are many studies which have explored important aspects of the implementation of enterprise systems, one area that appears to have been underresearched is how these systems are implicated in culture change within organisations. The results of this study will enable managers as well as IT specialists to gain rich insights into an ES implementation in the HE sector and to use this knowledge for future implementations.

With the advent of the knowledge economy and the growing importance of knowledge societies, organizations are constantly seeking new ways of leveraging and sharing knowledge to support decision-making (DM) processes. This chapter presents an initial insight to the little-researched phenomenon of how knowledge management systems (KMSs) can facilitate knowledge sharing (KS) to support DM processes in organizations. In this chapter, authors aim to extend the existing literature of knowledge management, decision making, and knowledge sharing by proposing a new conceptual framework, namely “ECUA” (easiness, communication, unification, and analytics characteristics). In this study, 42 semi-structured interviews have been conducted. The proposed conceptual framework will benefit managers in both public and private sectors in finding new ways of leveraging and sharing knowledge to support DM processes via using KMSs. This framework can be used to explore KMSs characteristics that can support DM processes by facilitating knowledge sharing in organizations.

The implementation of an integrated information system has become an agent and an enforcer of strict instrumental policy and power of the university institutions.

With the advent of the knowledge economy and the growing importance of knowledge societies, organizations are constantly seeking new ways of leveraging and sharing knowledge to support decision-making (DM) processes. This chapter presents an initial insight to the little-researched phenomenon of how knowledge management systems (KMSs) can facilitate knowledge sharing (KS) to support DM processes in organizations. In this chapter, authors aim to extend the existing literature of knowledge management, decision making, and knowledge sharing by proposing a new conceptual framework, namely “ECUA” (easiness, communication, unification, and analytics characteristics). In this study, 42 semi-structured interviews have been conducted. The proposed conceptual framework will benefit managers in both public and private sectors in finding new ways of leveraging and sharing knowledge to support DM processes via using KMSs. This framework can be used to explore KMSs characteristics that can support DM processes by facilitating knowledge sharing in organizations.

Many organisations are adopting new enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to address their organisational and business problems. These technologies may promise utopian visions of information management, yet often they have the potential to re-shape organisational life and bring even more control to the workplace; in some instances outcomes that are unpredictable and detrimental to the organisation. The study of ERPs and their influence on organisational life and culture is a complex and highly contested area of research which has been the subject of much theorising. This paper adds to the debate through a longitudinal case study of an integrated information system implementation undertaken within a large UK university. The system (known as SITS – strategic information technology services) was introduced into a university in 2006 and the focus of the research has been on culture change within the SITS environment. Document analysis, interviews and participant observation were used to collect data. What has emerged from this study is that many current approaches are unable to account for the complexity of cultural studies within an integrated information systems environment. Therefore we have adopted an approach which acknowledges technology’s power to facilitate or constrain, as well as the role that individuals play in the use of technology to organise.

PurposeThe purpose of the study is to assess the implementation of integrated information systems in UK higher education institutions (HEIs) via multiple internal stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachThe approach analyses the implementation strategy of two HEIs and assesses the impact of new systems on working practices. This involves interviews with various stakeholder groups from the HEIs, capturing 35 interviews.FindingsResults indicate that growth of alternative power bases emerge within both HEIs, as well as new roles and responsibilities for administrative staff, and different working practices for academics. Varying levels of importance are given to people and culture, management support, user involvement and clarity of communication and systems' requirements at project pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation stages.Practical implicationsThis study provides lessons of HEIs planning to undertake significant change by implementing integrated information systems. Challenges emerge around fit, complexity, training, communication and consultation. Benefits gained and emerging challenges show some commonality between the two case HEIs, pointing the way forward for other “large” (student number determined) HEIs embarking on similar change.Originality/valueThe UK HEI sector is experiencing major change emphasising cost reduction and operational efficiency. Understanding challenges relating to significant systems change in complex settings with varying stakeholder demands has considerable sectoral value.

CRM systems offer companies a unique ability to manage their customers more effectively. There is a wealth of benefits to CRM both internally and externally, and if used correctly they can grow a company's customer base and profits. Despite this, the implementations of these systems have a high rate of failure, with companies often spending large amounts of money without gaining anything other than an internal reporting tool. This paper looks at the reasons behind these failures, looking at previous case studies, theories and problems to decipher the main issues. The authors then use a recent CRM implementation as a case study to see how these issues relate to a real life scenario. The research concludes with a ten-step plan which can help academics and practitioners in gaining a better understanding of the implementation issues involved with such complex systems.