Enterprise system implementation in national and local Korean police agencies

Abstract

Enterprise systems promise to bring various benefits to organizations. However, the dynamics of user adoption are not well understood, which makes fully realizing these expected benefits is challenging. A major difficulty arises from the fact that enterprise systems impose structures on adopting organizations based on best practices in the field, but users-in-context also influence the structure that is actually realized. In this study, structuration theory was adopted in order to examine the dynamics of human interactions with technological artifacts during technology use. From exploratory interview data regarding the use of On-Nara, the Korean government enterprise system, at the national and local police agencies, certain individual characteristics, institutional rules, and available technologies were found to affect the ways in which users enact On-Nara. Some users creatively modified certain functionalities of modules. Also, recursive use of On-Nara brought subtle changes to user practices by creating new processes of collective discussion, and by lessening the rigidity of hierarchy. Further, the system's original goals and the users' perception of the goals did not always match. Indeed, use of the system evolved with its own spirit. The study's findings will benefit both public and business organizations by providing insights regarding how users make sense of, and decide to actually use, features and functionalities of enterprise systems.