Application of structuration theory and activity theory in enterprise resources planning systems implementation for Universities

Published in Computer Technology and Application 3 (2012) 385-394 by David PublishingAn integration of organization culture in the conceptualization and development of enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPs) is critical for an organization to reap potential benefits of the system. In this paper, the authors present an analytical approach through the Structuration Theory: How a university can assess its culture for the purposes of design and development of the ERPs. The authors extend the Structuration Theory by integrating it with the Activity Theory to provide the means of evaluating the activities that the system is to perform. The modified Orlikowski model is applied to depict the relationship between institutional properties, human agents, and technology in the university setup and how this offers a more inclusive approach to ERP systems development and implementation.An integration of organization culture in the conceptualization and development of enterprise Resource Planning Systems (ERPs) is critical for an organization to reap potential benefits of the system. In this paper, the authors present an analytical approach through the Structuration Theory: How a university can assess its culture for the purposes of design and development of the ERPs. The authors extend the Structuration Theory by integrating it with the Activity Theory to provide the means of evaluating the activities that the system is to perform. The modified Orlikowski model is applied to depict the relationship between institutional properties, human agents, and technology in the university setup and how this offers a more inclusive approach to ERP systems development and implementation