Inter-organizational systems (IOS) adoption in the Arabian Gulf region: the case of the Bahraini grocery industry

Abstract

Many organizations particularly in developed countries have engaged in inter-organizational systems (IOS) to manage their business operations across the supply chain. Such systems, which are mainly based on business-to-business electronic commerce technologies, are seen to play a significant role in enabling organizations around the world to extend their supply chain and to engage in global trading efficiently and effectively regardless of their geographical locations. However, the adoption rate of IOS in developing countries is still generally very low. This creates significant challenges to achieving advanced supply chain management for organizations in the developed countries that have trading relationships with organizations in developing countries. Although an enormous number of studies have been conducted to investigate the IOS adoption phenomenon in the last three decades, currently, there is still a limited understanding of the contextual issues related to the IOS adoption in developing countries, specifically within the Arabian Gulf region. Therefore, in this study, guided by the process model of Kurnia and Johnston [(2000). The need for a processual view of inter-organizational systems adoption. Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 9, 295–319], we conducted a multiple case study with seven companies within the grocery industry of Bahrain to investigate IOS adoption. This study offers important implications for both academics and practitioners.