Despite the general consensus regarding the critical role of top management in the information systems (ISs) implementation process, the literature has not yet provided a clear and compelling understanding of the top management support (TMS) concept. Applying metastructuring (Orlikowski et al., 1995) as a guiding framework for understanding TMS behaviors, this paper attempts to address the gap by focusing on two key questions: (1) What supportive actions do top managers engage in during IS implementations? (2) How do these actions affect IS implementation outcomes? Analyses of in-depth case studies at two Canadian universities that had implemented a large-scale enterprise system revealed three distinct types of TMS actions: TMS - resource provision (TMSR - actions related to supplying key resources such as funds, technologies, staff, and user training programs); TMS - change management (TMSC - actions related to fostering organizational receptivity of a new IS); and TMS - vision sharing (TMSV - actions related to ensuring that lower-level managers develop a common understanding of the core objectives and ideals for the new system). Results suggest that different support behaviors exercise different influences on implementation outcomes, and that top managers need to adjust their support actions to achieve the desired outcomes. In particular, TMSR affected project completion, TMSC impacted formation of user skills and attitudes, and TMSV influenced middle manager buy-in. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

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How to minimize risks involved in enterprise systems (ES) implementation while maximizing benefits has become a challenge for top management. This article proposes a conceptual model exploring impacts of top management on ES implementation effectiveness. Taking a perspective of innovation implementation, this paper addresses two research questions: what influences does top management exercise on the ES implementation? Second, what does top management contribute to a successful ES implementation under different implementation modes? Based on Klein and Sorra’s model, this paper develops a research model and identifies three top management influences. The paper concludes with potential contributions to IS researchers and business practitioners.

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Predicting successful implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems is still an elusive problem. The cost of ERP implementation failures is exceedingly high in terms of quantifiable financial resources and organizational disruption. The lack of good explanatory and predictive models makes it difficult for managers to develop and plan ERP implementation projects with any assurance of success. In this paper we investigate the Klein & Sorra theoretical model of implementation effectiveness. To test this model we develop and validate a data collection instrument to capture the appropriate data, and then use multivariate adaptive regression splines to examine the assertions of the model and suggest additional significant relationships among the factors of their model. Our research offers new dimensions for studying managerial interventions in IT implementation and insights into factors that can be managed to improve the effectiveness of ERP implementation projects.