About the Project
Faculty: Business and Law
Department: Business and Management
Project Description:
The internet and mobile technologies are changing drastically the ways we create, share and manage information while companies nowadays endeavour to develop their capabilities in order to capitalise on new digital developments. However, the use of complex technologies can also bring a number of problems to organisations and this means that despite the huge investments on integrated IS, companies very often do not realise the expected benefits.
Information Systems offer vast improvements in efficiency and effectiveness yet very often they impact upon both the organization’s ability to function and individual stakeholders’ roles. These complex systems can fail in terms of user satisfaction, often resulting in systems being abandoned or partially used. These failures of integrated IS implementations derive from the incomplete compatibility between the new technology and the organisational environment of the users. More specifically, these misalignments happen due to the lack of maturity in an enterprise which is part of the organisational culture that an organisation encompasses when implementing new technologies. Additionally, integrated information systems are often implemented within a highly political environment where individuals, groups and other stakeholders have agendas that when afforded by new technological opportunities can influence the nature of the system in ways which can affect many people.
This project will aim to gain an in-depth understanding the implications for people that integrated IS implementations have on large organisations. More specifically this research will offer further insights on how IS implementations have an impact on an organisation’s culture. Preferably, an interpretive case study approach will be employed which will allow the researcher to study IS in a natural setting and generate theories from practice. This will enable the researcher to explore the impact that IS have on the organisational level and to make recommendations on how to maximise success when implementing such systems.
The successful applicant will demonstrate an understanding of the implementation of integrated IS and their complexities. An ability to conduct qualitative research that analyses the linkages between the different stakeholders and the impact that integrated IS can have on them will also be critical to the successful completion of the project.
Eligibility and How to Apply:
Please note eligibility requirement:
• Academic excellence of the proposed student i.e. 2:1 (or equivalent GPA from non-UK universities [preference for 1st class honours]); or a Masters (preference for Merit or above); or APEL evidence of substantial practitioner achievement.
• Appropriate IELTS score, if required.
For further details of how to apply, entry requirements and the application form, see
https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/research/postgraduate-research-degrees/how-to-apply/
Please ensure you quote the advert reference above on your application form.
Start Date: 2 October 2017
Northumbria University is an equal opportunities provider and in welcoming applications for studentships from all sectors of the community we strongly encourage applications from women and under-represented groups.
Funding Notes
Self-funded students only. If you have the correct qualifications and access to your own funding, either from your home country or your own finances, your application to work with this supervisor will be considered.
References
Skoumpopoulou, D. and Moss, C. (2016), The Importance of Culture in ERP Adoption - A Case Study Analysis, Athens Journal of Business & Economics
Skoumpopoulou, D. and Franklin, B. (2015), Implementing a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system: The challenges involved, Book chapter in Encyclopedia of Information Science and Technology, IGI Global
Waring, T., Wainwright, D. and Skoumpopoulou, D. (2015), Enterprise Systems Adoption: A Sociotechnical Perspective on the Role of Power and Improvisation, International journal of systems and society
Skoumpopoulou, D., Nguyen, T. (2015), The Organisational Impact of Implementing Information Systems in Higher Education institutions: a case study from a UK University, Strategic Change
Vlachos, Ilias, Skoumpopoulou, Dimitra and Gutnik, Sandra (2014) Electronic supply chain management tools in international business: Evidence from Austrian food clusters. In: E-commerce platform acceptance: Suppliers, Retailers, and Consumers. Springer, New York. ISBN 978-3319061207
Waring,T and D. Skoumpopoulou (2013) An enterprise resource planning system innovation and its influence on organizational culture: a case study in higher education, Prometheus
Waring,T and D. Skoumpopoulou (2012) Through the Kaleidoscope: Perspectives on cultural change within an Integrated IS environment, International Journal of Information Management