EDI has become a popular area for academic research since the late 1980's. Yet most of the studies which have been undertaken have tended to focus either on the strategic planning and requirements elicitation for EDI, which take place before the system is implemented, or have been concerned with issues such as the integration of EDI into internal applications. In this paper we look at the implementation of EDI in a broader way, considering the implementation process in terms of both a `change process' as well as technological diffusion and taking into account the factors influencing that process. We suggest that a model based on this view will describe the implementation process in the real world and allow the creation of a more comprehensive picture of the events which take place during the implementation process. 1. INTRODUCTION Electronic Commerce (EC) has changed the way organisations perform their activities and Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), which is a part of EC, is crucia...

This paper discusses the issue of business-to-business E-commerce implementation and the factors which affect its implementation, considering the appropriateness of the various theories which underpin research into systems implementation (primarily diffusion of innovation and traditional change management theory). In this paper we describe the results of a case study of BHP Steel, Australia's largest steel producer and one of the country's largest companies, which is a leader in E-commerce implementation. The results of the case study suggest that over time the driving force for E-commerce changed significantly. From an initial push to improve current business processes by adopting a new way of doing business (EDI) to achieve savings and improve efficiency, the company came to be driven by a desire for greater supplier involvement and customer service in later implementations. The paper discusses the ways in which BHP Steel's E-commerce innovations have changed over time and suggests t...

Abstract — This paper explains conflict over technological process innovation in cultural terms, drawing primarily on a case study of electric power distribution and strategies to automate its operation. The paper shows how different occupational cultures, “operators” and “engineers, ” use different mental models or cognitive representations of technology that are adaptive to their particular work contexts, but give rise to conflicting evaluations of technological innovation. While these cultural groups may be motivated by a common interest in the successful performance of the technical system, they value different sets of criteria for system design and promising modifications. Despite the apparent contradiction, each perspective is internally consistent and rational. The paper argues that it is beneficial for management to consider these diverse perspectives carefully when planning technological innovation. I.

Until recently little research had been undertaken into the process of eCommerce implementation, especially in relation to the implementation of business-to-business (B2B) relationships. Given the complexity of this process we have, in this paper, endeavoured to contribute to what we perceive as a gap in the body of theory surrounding the implementation process in the extant business-to-business literature. We describe the findings of a series of multiple case studies comprising ten major Australian eCommerce initiators. In addition to confirming our earlier finding of the importance of nontechnical factors for the success of the implementation process we also present, through our case studies, the various management and business issues associated with the success or otherwise of B2B eCommerce implementation.

Profile analysis is proposed as a means for advancing empirical change process research. In the context of organizational studies, a profile can be viewed as a set of sequentially arranged factors that expresses the relative strength of individual factors and holistic patterns inside or between organizational entities. To demonstrate the utility of the approach in change process research, profile analysis was employed in a cross-sectional study. Hypotheses related to Lewin’s three-step model of change were tested using data obtained from managers involved in change implementation. Results confirmed a progression through Lewin’s unfreezing-movement-refreezing sequence during implementation. Profiles that reflected higher systematic use of change process factors were also found related to implementation success. Many future research opportunities are apparent, such as investigating interorganizational change profile types and using profile analysis to enhance longitudinal research designs.

Abstract not found