The Role of Dissonant Relational Multiplexity in Information System Implementation Failures: Insights from a Grounded Theory Approach
Authors: Chatterjee, Sutirtha; Chakraborty, Suranjan; Fulk, H. Kevin; Lowry, Paul Benjamin
Journal: Journal of the Association for Information Systems (2024)
DOI: 10.17705/1jais.00878
<jats:p>In this study, we investigate information system (IS) failures by leveraging a novel construct—dissonant relational multiplexity (RM)—to develop a unique perspective of these failures. Dissonant RM exists when two organizational stakeholders have multiple types of relationships that are in conflict. To investigate the salience of dissonant RM in IS failures, we use a case study combined with the analysis procedures of the grounded theory methodology (GTM) to examine a major failure in enterprise resource planning (ERP) implementation. Our analysis and theorization highlight that RM became increasingly dissonant in the relationships between key organizational stakeholders because of a shift in technological frames that represent cognitive perceptions about technology. Further, a key insight from our findings is that the move to dissonant RM occurred through a process that we term relational unbalancing. In addition, we also found evidence of an opposing relational balancing process that was used by stakeholders to address dissonant RM. Such stakeholder efforts were often undermined by inherent constraints in the implemented technology. The relational balancing efforts were…