Redouane El Amrani

Does ERP integration foster Cross-Functional Awareness? Challenging conventional wisdom for SMEs and large French firms

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept of Cross-Functional Awareness (CFA) and to question how firm size influences the impact of ERP implementation strategies on CFA. Specifically, the paper questions whether size moderates the capability of the firm to achieve CFA. Design/methodology/approach – The authors developed and empirically tested a conceptual framework using the partial least squares structural equation modeling approach. This study gathered data from a sample of 45 French SMEs and 55 French large firms. Findings – The results show that ERP implementation strategies (flexibility, organizational vision, Business Process Re-Engineering, speed of implementation, and focus on core modules) have a direct positive relationship and, in large firms, an indirect relationship (via data quality improvement) with the emergence of CFA. The study also suggests that firm size moderates the resulting emergence of ERP-enabled CFA. The findings will help researchers understand the factors ...

Understanding the Emergent Structure of Competency Centers in Post-implementation Enterprise Systems

Prior research provides conflicting insights about the link between investment in enterprise systems and firm value and in the ES governance mechanisms. The literature generally suggests that management should cultivate its technical and organizational expertise to derive value from currently deployed Enterprise Systems (ES) [8]. In the realm of practice, ERP vendors and configuration/integration partners strongly recommend the creation of an organizational structure to govern the ERP implementation and post-implementation process to improve project success and extract greater value from the ES investment. The ES literature, while unclear on the formation, and functioning of ES governance units, suggests the need for formal and fixed governance structures. This research utilizes Deleuze’s assemblage theory and emergence theory to explain the genesis and evolution of the governing ‘structure’ known as the Competency Center (CC). Our results illustrate the business needs driving the structuring processes behind the CC, are also those that lead to unintended and destabilizing outcomes. Whether the CC ‘assemblage’ survives to provide value depends on how the emergent issues are handled and how the assemblages are “positioned”. This research suggests effective ES governance is not derived from a prescribed step-wise process yielding formal structures, but rather form an organic process of assemblage.

The Fragmentation of Theoretical Contributions in ERP Research: An Exploratory Study

Theorizing is an essential endeavor in IS research, and top-ranked journals require their publications to include substantial theoretical contribution. In this paper, we seek to analyze and understand whether ERP research has been successful in building theory and developing a cumulative tradition. Our working hypothesis is that the profusion of theoretical contributions is hindering the cumulative construction of knowledge, and is impeding the emergence of robust theories in certain IS domains. Furthermore, we believe that replication is rarely considered when research is designed and published, thus indirectly contributing to the publication of yet more theoretical proposals. To explore and test this hypothesis, we develop an analysis framework and apply it in the ERP research field to a set of papers published in two leading European IS journals. Our findings confirm our hypothesis and show that it is difficult to build stable theories in ERP research as the theoretical corpus is fragmented, researchers tend to propose new theoretical contributions rather than test and confirm existing theories. We discuss the possible reasons behind this state of affairs and make a series of recommendations. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the theorizing process in ERP research and is of interest for researchers engaged in theory building.

A preliminary analysis of theorizing effort in ERP research

This paper looks at a fundamental issue in Information Systems (IS) research methodology, that of the use and construction of theories. Theory usage and construction are required for developing science, however they are poorly understood and pose difficult challenges to the researcher. To explore this issue, we propose a set of criteria and apply it to a sample of papers in the field of ERP research. Our analysis highlights the preponderance of descriptive and explanatory theoretical proposals, which do not attempt to make predictions. Furthermore, as most of these studies are impossible to replicate, theory confirmation is a challenge. This work is a contribution to better understand knowledge building in IS research.