This paper reports on a comparative case study of 13 industrial firms that had implemented an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Firms were compared based on their dialectical learning process. All firms had to overcome knowledge barriers of two types: those associated with the configuration of the ERP package, and those associated with the assimilation of new work processes. We examined the mechanisms through which firms attempted to overcome each type of knowledge barrier. We also observed different ERP implementation approaches: piecemeal and concerted. In the former approach, firms concentrated on the technology first and on process changes second. In the latter approach, both the technology and the process changes were tackled together. The learning challenges associated with each of these approaches were found to be different. Keywords: Enterprise Resource Planning, Process Theory, IT implementation, Dialectics of Change, Organizational Learning. ii 3 1. INTRODUCTION ...

this paper. Our analysis of contradictions leads us to propose alternative theoretical approaches to BPR research and practice. Theories that employ a "logic of contradiction" are likely to offer greater insight into contradictory practices such as BPR, as well as the more general issue of organizational change (Ford and Ford, 1994; Poole and Van de Ven, 1989; Robey, 1995; Van de Ven and Poole, 1995). Thus, rather than adding to the criticism of BPR, we seek to understand BPR's logical inconsistencies and contradictory results. We argue that a better theoretical understanding can improve both empirical research on BPR's implications for organizational performance and, ultimately, applied re-engineering efforts

Current literature on virtual organizations describes a richness of different aspects that contribute to the emergence of this new organizational form, like customer orientation, the use of information and communication technology (ICT), time-based competition or decentralization. However, there seems to be one common theme in this literature. „Virtual“ organizations are frequently (re-) created, sustained to capture the value of a market opportunity and dissolved again to give way for the creation of a next virtual organization. The paper therefore approaches the concept of the virtual organization from the organizational routines or design processes, which drive the design and implementation (D&I) of the virtual organization. As step towards a conceptual theory the article contributes a model of D&I processes for virtual organizations in order to contribute to the study of virtual organizations. It does so by summarizing eight propositions from previous literature and empirical evidences. The model is concerned with the impact of the design and implementation processes on the effectiveness of virtual organizations. The case of ELEKTRO is selected from ongoing action research in the European Telematics Engineering Project TELEflow to illustrate the model. The company has been chosen as it is actively enhancing its existing competence to design and implement virtual organizations.

The structure of open source project communities is discussed in relation to the organizational life cycle. In lieu of sales figures, the download counts for each project are used to identify the life cycle stage of a random sample of open source projects. A research model is proposed that attempts to measure the fit between the life cycle stage and the specific organizational characteristics of these projects (focus, division of labor, role of the leader, level of commitment, and coordination/control) as an indicator of the success of a project as measured by the satisfaction and involvement of both developers and users.

We introduce a collective action model of institutional innovation. This model, based on converging perspectives from the technology innovation management and social movements literature, views institutional change as a dialectical process in which partisan actors espousing conflicting views confront each other and engage in political behaviors to create and change institutions. The model represents an important complement to existing models of institutional change. We discuss how these models together account for various stages and cycles of institutional change. McAdam (1982) discusses the sit-ins, boycotts, voter registration drives, court actions, and other tactics used during the Civil Rights Movement between 1955 and 1965 to push for desegregation and equal rights. He observes that, at first, the movement was composed of many black colleges, black churches, and local chapters of the NAACP, each undertaking localized protest activities. These groups gave rise to more formal and well-known groups, such as the

Scholars hold different views about whether organizations consist of things or processes and about variance or process methods for conducting research. By combining these two dimensions, we develop a typology of four approaches for studying organizational change. Although the four approaches may be viewed as opposing or competing views, we see them as being complementary. Each approach focuses on different questions and provides a different--but partial--understanding of organizational change. We argue that coordinating the pluralistic insights from the four approaches provides a richer understanding of organization change than any one approach provides by itself.

Abstract. Enterprise change calls for Information System adaptation. In both academy and practice, BP modeling and re-engineering has been recognized as an effective way to enlighten the adaptations required on IS when the enterprise changes. However, in industrial scale projects BP Models are large and complex. This hinders the understanding of the required BPs in the light of the current ones. This paper draws from our experience with an actual change project that this issue can be dealt with by abstracting BP models. The paper proposes a methodological framework organizing analysis into several levels. At the highest level, the framework proposes to use an abstract formalism called MAP, which helps synthesizing BP goals and strategies Our expectation is that MAP facilitates analysis of change with traditional BP models. A process is also proposed to conduct the analysis of BP change and IS adaptation starting with MAP. The resulting method was applied in an industrial case study and the framework criticized. The lessons learned from this experiment are fourfold: (i) the methodological framework is effective although it needs more explicit links between models, (ii) the understanding and organization of BP models is made easier by the usage of the more abstract MAP models, (iii) modeling with MAP helps making more complete BP models, and (iv) the multiplication of models in an IS adaptation project burdens the complexity of their management. 1.

This paper takes a dynamic approach to understanding the nature and role of boundary objects by examining them in relation to the social infrastructures within which they are embedded and to the social identities of the groups that share them. It explores the premise that boundary objects are used not only as a translation device, but also as a resource to form and express social identities. It further suggests the occurrence of a dynamic process whereby changes in boundary objects enable changes in social infrastructures and social identities in one group. These changes, in turn, create the conditions for change in bordering groups through shared boundary objects. Based on interviews which were conducted over three years, we illustrate these ideas by presenting three vignettes that describe the introduction of 3D modelling technologies into the AEC industry and the changes that consequently occurred.

Abstract: Similarities between individual and organizational response to loss are documented through literature analysis and case studies in the automobile industry. An identity maintenance and adaptation thesis is developed to explain this similarity and provide a logic for a stage theory of loss. Risk-seeking behavior under loss is also explained.

The shift from a product-oriented business strategy to a customer-focused one has been a major change agent in companies recently. Many companies have invested heavily in technologies enabling a customer-focused relationship marketing strategy. However, there are mixed results as to how successful firms have been in implementing customer relationship management systems. The challenge of managing organizational change has been raised as a potentially important factor affecting the successful outcome of CRM efforts. In order to get more insight into organizational change in the CRM context, we conducted an exploratory single case study, and identified several change events on different observational levels. Our research results give support to previous findings that before implementing CRM technologies, a company should first change the organization to become more customer-focused. This again requires the re-engineering of many key customer relationship management processes. Our findings suggest that to succeed, one should first identify existing, concurrent change processes and their related change entities. Then one could evaluate, whether change events- triggered by these processes- might have an affect on one another in a way, which could endanger the successful outcome of the CRM implementation.