Cross-cultural IS adoption in multinational corporations

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Shoib, Gamila | Nandhakumar, Joe

Affiliations: School of Management, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, United Kingdom

Note: [] Corresponding author. E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract: A common claim in the literature on Information Systems' implementation in the context of less developed economies or so-called "developing countries" is that the "Western" technology is at odds with the local cultural context, in particular it is believed to mismatch local rationality in the sense of the accepted ways of doing things. In this paper we investigate IS implementation in a company based in a "non-Western" context compared with IS adoption in another company in a "Western" country context. Seen as a particular form of decision-making, the adoption and implementation processes are analysed drawing on the literature on decision-making, rationality in "Western" and "non-Western" contexts. Presenting evidence from these two contexts we argue that multiple forms of rationality exist in any context and that national culture is only one aspect of actors' as well as researchers' sense-making of activities in any given context. Linking the cases back the literature we reflect on the implications of our findings for cross-cultural research of IT implementation.

Keywords: rationality, decision making, IS adoption, cross cultural management

Journal: Information Technology for Development, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 249-260, 2003