Management influence on information systems (IS) implementation effectiveness

Despite the increased adoption of information technology (IT), organizations have been continuously challenged in realizing the expected benefits from the systems they adopt. Although management is believed to be key in achieving positive system implementation outcomes, few studies have examined what managerial behaviors are critical and how these behaviors take effect. To improve our understanding of management influence, this study targeted the role of project champions and direct managers and developed a research model conceptualizing managerial influence on implementation effectiveness by combining the transformational leadership theory and Klein and Sorra's innovation implementation model (1996).; A four-phased methodology integrating both qualitative and quantitative methods was designed to explore the phenomenon and to test the proposed model with rigor and richness. The first phase, through three case studies, probed how managerial behaviors affected users' adoption of an information system. The second phase focused on scale development and examination of construct validity and reliability.; The third phase, based on the data analysis of 176 responses, discovered that: (1) transactional and transformational behaviors of both project champions and direct managers exert positive and significant influence on implementation effectiveness, and (2) transactional leadership behaviors exert greater influence than transformational behaviors on implementation outcomes. The follow-up case studies in the fourth phase highlighted that the pivotal role of project champions is manifested in their behaviors at the strategic level (e.g., ensuring an IS implementation is on track; articulating strategic visions), and that the key influence of direct managers lies in their assisting users in mastering a new system. In addition, the case studies stressed the importance of continuous education in order for users to enjoy the benefits of the adopted system. In conclusion, this thesis contributes to IS research studies by theorizing managerial influence on implementation effectiveness and testing the phenomenon through the combination of survey and case studies, taking the first step toward a deeper and richer understanding of management influence.