Paradoxes of Change Management in Information System Development

This interpretive grounded theory (GT) study describes and analyses the experiences of information system development (ISD) project members. The project included two private sector organisations. The customer and the vendor had developed an old IS, that was supposed to be renewed, already over ten years ago. The renewal project was put on hold several times because of the financial uncertainties. The project was re-started in June 2010 when the final investment decision was made. New actors and the vendor organisation joined to it. The data was elicited by means of 15 interviews after the project restarted. This study shows how GT can be used to gain new insights into a case study, and generate new concepts. We identified seven selective codes: 1) Clarification of the ISD goal periodically, 2) Maintaining the overall system view, 3) Making sense of the IS model, 4) Making the evolving system parts and progress visible, 5) Coping with the change, 6) Being aware of the informality, and 7) Enhancing the collaborative ISD culture which formed the one main category ‘Management of Change in ISD’. This study aims to enrich the existing ISD change literature by providing the paradoxical perspective on the management of change structures