The Fatal Politics of Multinational Information Systems: A Case Study

Abstract

There are few case studies about the development of an international information system for multinational corporations. This article shows a case study about an attempt to create a global information system by an international company from ’Australasia ’’ demonstrating the many pitfalls in the process. The case also shows how a grounded theory about the factors involved in the development and implementation of an international information system can be derived from a single case. The field of International Information Systems has taken on increased importance as organisations develop and refine their global operations. However, little research has been done to establish theoretical frameworks. The case story describes the evolution of an IIS as it follows its organisation’s global business development. Using a Grounded Theory method, a number of theoretical insights are distilled from the case. The article demonstrates the theory building process with two key findings: first, the notion of an"information system migration" following the development of the Global Business Strategy of the Multi-National enterprise through various stages; and second, the failure of the IIS to adapt to the organisation’s strategy changes sets up a field of antagonistic forces, in which business resistance summarily can kill all attempts to install a standard global information system. Conclusions for using cases in this way for applied methodology instruction analysis are outlined.