De-escalation of commitment to information systems projects: a process perspective

Escalation of commitment is a common and costly problem among information system projects. Although the potential of de-escalation of commitment to failing courses of action has been much heralded, many de-escalation efforts may result in failure due to constituencies biasing facts in the direction of previously accepted beliefs and therefore preventing an organization from de-escalating commitment to a project. Here, we examine actors' commitment transformation during the de-escalation of commitment to an e-procurement project in a local government organization in the UK. Our findings suggest that the commitment transformation process can be enacted successfully through the deployment of behaviour disconfirmation, continuous commitment, provision of psychological safety, development, and the alignment and integration of new attitudes and behaviours. The research and practical implications of these findings are discussed, and future research areas are explored.