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Rigid Technology and Improvised Implementation: The case of ERP Systems

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Bricolage, Care and Information

Part of the book series: Technology, Work and Globalization ((TWG))

Abstract

Claudio Ciborra’s improvisation argument provides a realistic dynamic account of how organizational practices address technology. This was developed from the study of malleable open-ended technology, but little research has occurred to investigate the theory’s validity within different settings. This paper seeks to address this gap, by examining improvisation in the context of a rigid highly structured technology. It presents findings from the successful implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system within a large international organization, which was subsequently defined by the ERP vendor as being an ‘exemplary site’. Through the theoretical lens of Actor Network Theory, the paper reveals the improvisation, enactments and constant work around the plan that took place in dealing with the high contingencies of ERP implementation. The study extends the discussion on improvisation and contributes to an already illuminating argument. It invites practitioners to reflect on ERP implementation practice and review their evaluation methods.

This paper originally appeared as Elbanna, A.R. (2006) The validity of the improvisation argument in the implementation of rigid technology: the case of ERP systems. Journal of Information Technology 21(3): 165–175.

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Authors
  1. Amany R. Elbanna
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© 2009 Amany R. Elbanna

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Elbanna, A.R. (2009). Rigid Technology and Improvised Implementation: The case of ERP Systems. In: Bricolage, Care and Information. Technology, Work and Globalization. Palgrave Macmillan, London. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230250611_16

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