Information Systems Across Organisational and National Boundaries: An Analysis of Development Problems

Abstract

This paper focuses on transnational information systems (TIS) that cross organisational and international boundaries. Although a number of such systems is already operational, and the number being built is on the increase, very little attention has been paid to TIS in the literature. This paper describes an empirical study, which gathered case study data from four TIS projects. The data were used to describe problems encountered during TIS development and management and to discuss solutions found for those problems. It was found that (1) organisational and institutional problems tend to be more difficult to address than informational ones, (2) the early and late system phases of the development present the greatest difficulties and (3) many of the more complex issues concern the interorganisational rather than the international context of TIS. It was interesting to find that when organisations encountered difficulties, they rather lowered the level of TIS they aspired to than facing the difficulties head-on.