The influence of organisational culture and organisational control on the diffusion of a management information system
Year: 2013
Type: dissertation
Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to provide an original interpretative understanding of the role of\norganisational culture and organisational control on the diffusion of a Management\nInformation Systems (MIS). An extensive literature review has revealed a lack of synthesis\nbetween organisational culture and organisational control in the understanding of diffusion\nof an MIS. The literature review was two-fold: firstly, to examine the impact of\norganisational culture on IS diffusion and, secondly, to examine the impact of organisational\ncontrol on IS diffusion. The first stage of the review revealed that there are a number of\nstudies on IS diffusion in relation to culture at the organisational level but a relatively fewer\nstudies at the sub-organisational or subcultural level. The second stage of the review\nhighlights that there is also a significant number of studies that have applied the control\nconcept to investigating phenomena related to IS diffusion, e.g. IT adoptions and IT\nimplementations, but very few have explicitly applied the control concept to IT\nimplementations outcomes, i.e. IT diffusion. The review also suggested that there is scarce\nempirical research on IS diffusion from the twin perspectives of culture and control.\nUsing an interpretive case study approach, this thesis was able to collect rich data,\nunderpinned by Martin’s (1992) conceptualisation of organisational culture, i.e. integration\nand differentiation, and Kirsch's (1997) and Ouchi's (1979) conceptualisation of\norganisational controls. These conceptualisations served as interpretive lenses to unearth the\ndynamic relationship of the application of formal controls on diverging subcultures during\nstaff interactions and use of an MIS during the adaptation, acceptance and routinization\nstages of Cooper and Zmud's (1990) IT Implementation Model.\nThe thesis' results highlight a number of contributions to knowledge. Firstly, a contribution is\nmade in the area of IS diffusion research by proposing a conceptual model for IS diffusion.\nThe model offers explanations on how IS diffusion could be achieved despite the existence of\ndiverging subcultures when formal control mechanisms are applied, an implication that\nsuggests that the IS diffusion path may not be smooth and linear but an iterative process.\nSecondly, a contribution is made in the area of organisational culture and organisational\ncontrol theories. This thesis' results indicate that during the implementation of an MIS, staffespoused\ncultural values changed, highlighting that the culture may not be always stable, and\ndifficult to change. The thesis helps re-conceptualise the existing typology on outcome\ncontrol by indicating that outcome control, which is conceptualised as deliberate and forceful\nin nature, could also, unlike behaviour control, be exercised in measures that do not need to\ncoerce or be forceful. Further, the thesis highlights that sanctions rather than rewards were\nmore effective in the application of controls during the diffusion attempts of an IS. Finally,\nthe research contributes to knowledge in the area of practice. This study provides insights on\nhow managers may apply organisational controls to align diverging subgroup members'\nactions towards integrative behaviours during an IS implementation process, therefore\nfacilitating the attainment of successful IS diffusion.
Author: Mumin Abubakre
Language: English
Subfield: Information Systems and Management
Field: Decision Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W790450166