Assimilation of Enterprise Information Systems: Knowledge Support from People and Systems

Prior research has indicated that employees rely on their informal social network to acquire knowledge essential for assimilating new technologies into their work practices. This study investigates the role of the help desk and online help in providing knowledge support for individual users and workgroups after the implementation of an Enterprise Information System. In addition to the informal social network, the people-driven help desk and system-driven online help are incorporated into a multi-modal social network framework to understand their synergistic impact on implementation success. The findings of the study indicate that the help desk provides knowledge support to both individuals and workgroups, while online help has a nuanced effect that depends on the density of individual and workgroup social network connections. The study further emphasizes the relevance of multi-modal social networks in understanding the combined network effects of people and systems.

[1]  Ahad Zare Ravasan,et al.  An Extended Framework for ERP Post-Implementation Success Assessment , 2014, Inf. Resour. Manag. J..

[2]  Rob Cross,et al.  A Relational View of Information Seeking and Learning in Social Networks , 2003, Manag. Sci..

[3]  Ranjan B. Kini,et al.  Critical Success Factors in the Implementation of Enterprise Resource Planning Systems in Small and Midsize Businesses: Microsoft Navision Implementation , 2013, Int. J. Enterp. Inf. Syst..

[4]  Rajeev Sharma,et al.  The Contingent Effects of Training, Technical Complexity, and Task Interdependence on Successful Information Systems Implementation , 2007, MIS Q..

[5]  Yoshikazu Yamamoto,et al.  A framework to provide integrated online documentation , 2001, SIGDOC '01.

[6]  Wei Wang,et al.  ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University , 2022 .

[7]  R. Burt.  Structural Holes and Good Ideas1 , 2004, American Journal of Sociology.

[8]  Radhika Santhanam,et al.  The Effects of Social Network Structure on Enterprise Systems Success: A Longitudinal Multilevel Analysis , 2012, Inf. Syst. Res..

[9]  Gerald C. Kane,et al.  Casting the Net: A Multimodal Network Perspective on User-System Interactions , 2008, Inf. Syst. Res..

[10]  Daniel J. Brass,et al.  Network Analysis in the Social Sciences , 2009, Science.

[11]  Ralph A. Heidl,et al.  Knowledge, Networks, and Knowledge Networks , 2011 .

[12]  Radhika Santhanam,et al.  Postimplementation Knowledge Transfers to Users and Information Technology Professionals , 2007, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[13]  B. Latour.  Science in action : how to follow scientists and engineers through society , 1989 .

[14]  William R. King,et al.  Impacts of End-User and Information Center Characteristics on End-User Computing Support , 1994, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[15]  Robert B. Handfield,et al.  Measuring the benefits of ERP on supply management maturity model: a “big data” method , 2015 .

[16]  Mahyar Amini,et al.  Review Paper: Critical Success Factors for ERP Implementation , 2013 .

[17]  Robert P. Bostrom,et al.  End-user training methods: what we know, need to know , 2010, Data Base.

[18]  Michael J. Gallivan,et al.  ORGANIZATIONS: A MULTILEVEL PERSPECTIVE , 2007 .

[19]  Suzanne D. Pawlowski,et al.  Bridging User Organizations: Knowledge Brokering and the Work of Information Technology Professionals , 2004, MIS Q..

[20]  Ray Reagans,et al.  Network Structure and Knowledge Transfer: The Effects of Cohesion and Range , 2003 .

[21]  Faisal Aburub,et al.  Impact of ERP systems usage on organizational agility: An empirical investigation in the banking sector , 2015, Inf. Technol. People.

[22]  Graeme G. Shanks,et al.  An Explanatory Framework for Achieving Business Benefits from ERP Systems , 2012, J. Assoc. Inf. Syst..

[23]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Determinants of Perceived Ease of Use: Integrating Control, Intrinsic Motivation, and Emotion into the Technology Acceptance Model , 2000, Inf. Syst. Res..

[24]  Ji-Ye Mao,et al.  The Effectiveness of Online Task Support vs. Instructor-Led Training , 2005, J. Organ. End User Comput..

[25]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Enterprise System Implementation and Employee Job Performance: Understanding the Role of Advice Networks , 2014, MIS Q..

[26]  Ronald D. Freeze,et al.  Social Networks and Organizational Performance: Exploring the Quality of Domain Knowledge Sources , 2013, Int. J. Knowl. Manag..

[27]  Pralay Pal,et al.  Literature review on ERP implementation challenges , 2016, Int. J. Bus. Inf. Syst..

[28]  Viswanath Venkatesh,et al.  Model of Acceptance with Peer Support: A Social Network Perspective to Understand Employees' System Use , 2009, MIS Q..

[29]  Judy E. Scott.  Technology acceptance and ERP documentation usability , 2008, Commun. ACM.

[30]  Morten T. Hansen,et al.  The Search-Transfer Problem: The Role of Weak Ties in Sharing Knowledge across Organization Subunits , 1999 .

[31]  Toni M. Somers,et al.  A taxonomy of players and activities across the ERP project life cycle , 2004, Inf. Manag..

[32]  Stephan Dutke,et al.  Evaluation of two types of online help for application software , 2008, J. Comput. Assist. Learn..

[33]  Michael J. Gallivan,et al.  Does Information Technology Training Really Matter? A Social Information Processing Analysis of Coworkers' Influence on IT Usage in the Workplace , 2005, J. Manag. Inf. Syst..

[34]  Barbara Czegel.  Help Desk Practitioner's Handbook , 1998 .

[35]  Daniel J. Brass.  Being in the right place: A structural analysis of individual influence in an organization. , 1984 .

[36]  Brian J. Reithel,et al.  Beyond the information center: An instrument to measure end-user computing support from multiple sources , 1998, Inf. Manag..