Quantitative correlation of enterprise resource planning type, success, and technology leadership style in local government

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) is a primary strategy of technology leaders challenged with meeting the business needs of the user community. Many advantages exist to support an ERP technology focus. In local government, senior technology leaders have the challenge of demonstrating leadership skills to justify fiscal and operational decisions. The quantitative, correlational study examined the degree to which a relationship exists among the independent variables of leadership style and type of ERP implemented, and the dependent variable, perceived ERP success, in local government technology leaders. Senior technology leaders of U.S. cities, counties, and townships who adopted enterprise resource planning within their organizations were the target population of the study. Pearson r coefficient, multiple linear regression, and standard descriptive statistics were used to analyze the results of the study. The theories of transformational leadership and diffusion were foundations for the leadership style researched in the study. The results of the study indicated a relationship exists between transformational leadership style and successful ERP. A significant relationship also existed between leadership style and type of ERP, if type was other than the major ERP vendors. Future research is recommended to explore and identify a leadership model for successful ERP by public sector technology leaders