How an ERP system obains the capacity to act and generate organizational outcomes
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2016-07-11
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en
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The main aim of this thesis is to examine how social and material entities interact and affect the agency of a recently implemented ERP system. The thesis is based on the relational view described by Mahama, Elbashir, Sutton, and Arnold (2016) because they argue that the relationships and interactions between social and material entities determine the agency of information systems. The agency of an information system is explained as the capacity to act and generate organizational outcomes. The use of the relational view can enhance the understanding of an ERP system in its organizational context and may explain why quantitative and qualitative AIS studies often find moderate effects of expectations that are a priori formulated. Data for the analysis were gathered through an organization-wide case study. The findings of this thesis indicate that an integrated ERP system creates high interdependence. Multiple actors (i.e. entities) were interacting in order to achieve increased organizational performance. This thesis points out that when the essential interactions do not occur, the ERP system is unable to obtain the capacity to act and generate organizational outcomes. Boundary objects can enhance the understanding of how the social and material entities are related and depend on each other and thus which interactions are essential in an ERP context.
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Faculteit der Managementwetenschappen