The organizational and cultural context of systems implementation: Case experience from Latin America

Multinational corporations (MNCs) face a number of potential obstacles in their efforts to implement computer-based information systems in subsidiary companies. Culture may impede implementation efforts because of differences in the way information systems are interpreted and given meaning. Specifically, the meaning of an information system to the MNC's headquarters and systems development group may differ from the meaning it has for the managers and users in the subsidiary. This paper describes one MNC's efforts to implement an automated accounting system in two of its Latin American subsidiaries. Problems experienced in one country led the company to adjust its implementation strategy by involving members of the company's international division in a redesign effort. Subsequent efforts to implement the same system in the second country succeeded easily due to the compatibility between the implementation team's actions and those of the local managers and workers.