The Relationship of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Implementation to Organizational Changes in Control, Task Structure, and Workarounds

Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester MA

Investigators

Abstract

This project proposes a study of the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system at Pratt and Whitney, comparing multiple sites (with different task characteristics) within a single cooperating industrial partner. The focus of interest is the apparent contrast between increasingly decentralized management practices on the one hand, and the widely-reported tendency of ERP systems to force centralized perspectives, resulting in "workarounds" that subvert the accuracy of central information systems. As firms move increasingly toward reliance on IT systems, inaccurate information may have serious consequences. Moreover, the potential for systemic rigidities imposed by ERPs is of concern in an increasingly interconnected, rapidly changing environment. These questions will be illuminated by a well-conceived inquiry.