Asia pacific journal of information systems

The Korea Society of Management Information Systems (한국경영정보학회)
권호 표지
DOI QR코드

DOI QR Code

Role of Cultural Factors in IT Projects: In the Context of Developing Economies

  • Received : 2019.09.01
  • Accepted : 2020.01.06
  • Published : 2020.03.30
Download PDF
⟨ Previous Next ⟩

Abstract

Various information and communication technologies (ICT) and electronic government (e-Government) projects have been planted in hopes of economic and social growth in developing economies. These types of ventures usually involve working in societies with their own unique cultures in various aspects that often cause "custom ways" of planning, implementing, coordinating, and controlling in IT projects, thus playing a grand role in determining the success of IT projects. Due to a lack of understanding of local cultural factors and a deficiency of cultural risk evaluation models, however, many IT projects especially in the context of developing economies face failure. This study investigates the major cultural factors involved in IT projects and their effects on IT projects in developing economies. The framework is validated using the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) information and communication technology (ICT) and e-Government project cases of two countries in Central Asia, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. This study will help project managers develop management practices and strategies associated with the cultural factors they face during the various stages of their IT projects in their specific contexts.

Keywords

References

  1. Abbasi, G. Y., and Al-Mharmah, H. (2000). Project management practice by the public sector in a developing country. International Journal of Project Management, 18(2), 105-109.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-7863(98)00074-X
  2. Alam, A., and A. Banerji (2000). Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan: A tale of two transition Paths. Policy Research Working Paper, No. 2472. Washington, DC: World Bank. 
  3. Amid, A., Moalagh, M., and Ravasan, A.Z. (2012). Identification and classification of ERP critical failure factors in Iranian industries. Information Systems, 37(3), 227-237.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.is.2011.10.010
  4. Avots, I. (1972). Projects in developing countries. Business Horizons, 15(4), 69-73.  https://doi.org/10.1016/0007-6813(72)90008-0
  5. Aycan, Z. (2004). Leadership and teamwork in the developing country context. In H. Lane, M. Maznevski, M. Mendenhall, and J. McNett (Eds.), The Blackwell Handbook of Global Management: A Guide to Managing Complexity, London: Blackwell, 406-423. 
  6. Aycan, Z., Kanungo, R., Mendonca, M., Yu, K., Deller, J., Stahl, G., and Kurshid, A. (2000). Impact of culture on human resource management practices: A 10 country comparison. Applied Psychology, 49(1), 192-221.  https://doi.org/10.1111/1464-0597.00010
  7. Bell, B. S., and Kozlowski, S. W. (2002). A typology of virtual teams: Implications for effective leadership. Group & Organization Management, 27(1), 14-49.  https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601102027001003
  8. Benamati J., and Serva, M. A. (2007). Trust and distrust in online banking: Their role in developing countries. Information Technology for Development, 13(2), 161-175.  https://doi.org/10.1002/itdj.20059
  9. Berlyne, D. E. (1966). Curiosity and exploration. Science, 153(3731), 25-33.  https://doi.org/10.1126/science.153.3731.25
  10. Bond, M. H., and Hofstede, G. (1989). The cash value of Confucian values. Human Systems Management, 8(3), 195-199.  https://doi.org/10.3233/HSM-1989-8303
  11. Calhoun, K. J., Teng, J. T., and Cheon, M. J. (2002). Impact of national culture on information technology usage behaviour: An exploratory study of decision making in Korea and the USA. Behaviour & Information Technology, 21(4), 293-302.  https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929021000013491
  12. Chau, P., Cole, M., Massey, A., Montoya-Weiss, M., and O'keefe, R. M. (2002). Cultural differences in consumer's online behaviors. Communications of the ACM, 45(10), 138-143.  https://doi.org/10.1145/570907.570911
  13. Cho, J., and Noh, G.-Y. (2017). Roles of health-oriented personal factors in influencing Koreans' perceptions about telemedicine: Exploration of regional differences. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 28(3), 176-190.  https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2017.27.3.176
  14. Chung, I. K., and Adams, C. R. (1997). A study on the characteristics of group decision making behavior: Cultural difference perspective of Korea vs. US. Journal of Global Information Management, 5(3), 18-30.  https://doi.org/10.4018/jgim.1997070102
  15. Cooke, R. A., and Lafferty, J. C. (1987). Organizational culture inventory. Plymouth, MI: Human Synergistics. 
  16. Couger, J. D. (1986). Effect of cultural differences on motivation of analysts and programmers: Singapore vs. the United States. MIS Quarterly, 10(2), 189-196.  https://doi.org/10.2307/249039
  17. Dada, D. (2006). The failure of e government in developing countries: A literature review. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 26(1), 1-10.  https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2006.tb00176.x
  18. Dube, L. (1998). Teams in packaged software development: The Software Corp. experience. Information Technology & People, 11(1), 36-61.  https://doi.org/10.1108/09593849810204530
  19. Earley, P. C. (1993). East meets West meets Mideast: Further explorations of collectivistic and individualistic work groups. Academy of Management Journal, 36(2), 319-348.  https://doi.org/10.2307/256525
  20. Eom, M., Gudigantala, N., and Kim, Y. J. (2019). Investigating the process of developing and retaining competent IT personnel: The role of IT leadership. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 29(1), 83-116.  https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2019.29.1.83
  21. Farris, G. F., Senner, E. E., and Butterfield, D. A. (1973). Trust, culture, and organizational behavior. Industrial Relations: A Journal of Economy and Society, 12(2), 144-157.  https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1468-232X.1973.tb00544.x
  22. Fukuyama, F. (1995). Trust: The social virtues and the creation of prosperity. New York, NY: Free Press. 
  23. Galliers, R. D., Madon, S., and Rashid, R. (1998). Information systems and culture: Applying 'stages of growth' concepts to development administration. Information Technology for Development, 8(2), 89-100.  https://doi.org/10.1080/02681102.1998.9525296
  24. Garfield, M. J., and Watson, R. T. (1997). Differences in national information infrastructures: The reflection of national cultures. The Journal of Strategic Information Systems, 6(4), 313-337.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S0963-8687(98)00012-2
  25. Gold, A. H., Malhotra, A., and Segars, A. H. (2001). Knowledge management: An organizational capabilities perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems, 18(1), 185-214.  https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2001.11045669
  26. Hall, E. T. (1983). The dance of life: the other dimension of time. New York, NY: Anchor Press. 
  27. Hall, E. T., and Hall, M. R. (1989). Understanding cultural differences. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press. 
  28. Hasan, H., and Ditsa, G. (1999). The impact of culture on the adoption of IT: An interpretive study. Journal of Global Information Management, 7(1), 5-15.  https://doi.org/10.4018/jgim.1999010101
  29. Heeks, R. (2002). Failure, success and improvisation of information system projects in developing countries. Development Informatics Working Paper Series, No.11/2002. Manchester, UK: Institute for Development Policy and Management. 
  30. Heeks, R. (2006). Health information Systems: Failure, success and improvisation. International Journal of Informatics, 75(2), 125-137.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2005.07.024
  31. Hofstede, G. (1980). Cultures consequences: International differences in work-related values. Newbury Park, CA: Sage Press. 
  32. Hofstede, G. (1983). Dimensions of national cultures in fifty countries and three regions. In J.B. Deregowski, S. Dziurawiec and R.C. Annis (Eds.), Expiscations in Cross-Cultural Psychology. Lisse Neth: Swets and Zeitlinger, 335-355. 
  33. Hofstede, G., and Bond, M. (1988). The Confucius connection: From cultural roots to economic growth. Organizational Dynamics, 16(4), 5-21.  https://doi.org/10.1016/0090-2616(88)90009-5
  34. Hofstede, G., Hofstede, G. J., and Minkov, M. (2010). Cultures and organizations: Software of the mind. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. 
  35. Husted, B. W. (1999). Wealth, culture, and corruption. Journal of International Business Studies, 30(2), 339-359.  https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.jibs.8490073
  36. IMF (2018). World Economic Outlook, Database-WEO Groups and Aggregates Information. Retrieved from https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2018/02/weodata/groups.htm. Accessed at 24 Apr. 2019. 
  37. Isabirye, N., Flowerday, S., Nanavati, A., and von Solms, R. (2015). Building technology trust in a rural agricultural e-marketplace: A user requirement's perspective. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 70(4), 1-20.  https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2015.tb00504.x
  38. Kankanhalli, A., Tan, B. C. Y., Wei, K. K., and Holmes, M. C. (2004). Cross-cultural differences and information systems developer values. Decision Support Systems, 38(2), 183-195.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-9236(03)00101-5
  39. Kanungo, S. (1998). An empirical study of organizational culture and network-based computer use. Computers in Human Behavior, 14(1), 79-91.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S0747-5632(97)00033-2
  40. Kapurubandara, M., and Lawson, R. (2006). Barriers to adopting ICT and e-commerce with SMEs in developing countries: An exploratory study in Sri Lanka. In CollECTeR '06, 9 December, Adelaide, Australia. 
  41. Karahanna, E., Evaristo, R., and Srite, M. (2005). Levels of Culture and Individual Behavior: An Integrative Perspective. Journal of Global Information Management, 13(2), 1-19.  https://doi.org/10.4018/jgim.2005040101
  42. Keesing, R. M. (1974). Theories of culture. Annual Review of Anthropology, 3(1), 73-97.  https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.an.03.100174.000445
  43. Keil, M., Tan, B. C. Y., Wei, K. K., Saarinen, T., Tuunainen, V., and Wassenaar, A. (2000). A cross-cultural study on escalation of commitment behavior in software projects. MIS Quarterly, 24(2), 299-325.  https://doi.org/10.2307/3250940
  44. Khatib, H., Lee, H., Suh, C., and Weerakkody V. (2019). E-government systems success and user acceptance in developing countries: The role of perceived support quality. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 29(1), 1-34.  https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2019.29.1.1
  45. Kim, J., Rhee, C., and Moon, J. (2017). Gaining insight into IT investment in the agriculture industry: Comparison of IT portfolios by type of crops. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 28(4), 233-244.  https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2017.27.4.223
  46. Kotlarsky, J., and Oshri, I. (2005). Social ties, knowledge sharing and successful collaboration in globally distributed system development projects. European Journal of Information Systems, 14(1), 37-48.  https://doi.org/10.1057/palgrave.ejis.3000520
  47. Latane, B., Liu, J. H., Nowak, A., Bonevento, M., and Zheng, L. (1995). Distance matters: Physical space and social impact. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 21(8), 795-805.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167295218002
  48. Ledford, J. L. (2002). Establishing best practices for e-government within the U.S. Faulkner Information Services (February), Docld: 00018275. 
  49. Lee, O. K. D., and Baby, D. V. (2013). Managing dynamic risks in global IT projects: Agile risk-management using the principles of service-oriented architecture. International Journal of Information Technology & Decision Making, 12(6), 1121-1150.  https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219622013400117
  50. Lee, O. K. D., and Namayanja, J. M. (2019). IT project risks in developing economies: For the contexts of Cambodia and Uganda. Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems (PACIS) Proceedings. 
  51. Leidner, D. E., and Kayworth, T. (2006). A review of culture in information systems research: Toward a theory of information technology culture conflict. MIS Quarterly, 30(2), 357-399.  https://doi.org/10.2307/25148735
  52. Leidner, D. E., Carlsson, S., Elam, J., and Corrales, M. (1999). Mexican and Swedish managers' perceptions of the impact of EIS on organizational intelligence, decision making, and structure. Decision Sciences, 30(3), 632-658.  https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5915.1999.tb00901.x
  53. Lorenz, E. (1993). Flexible production systems and the social construction of trust. Politics & Society, 21(3), 307-324.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0032329293021003004
  54. Lyu, F., Lim, H.-A., and Choi, J. (2019). Customer acceptance of self-service technologies in retail: A case of convenience stores in China. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 29(3), 428-447.  https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2019.29.3.428
  55. Maruping, L. M, Venkatesh, V., Thong, J. Y. L., and Zhang, X. (2019). A risk mitigation framework for information technology projects: A cultural contingency perspective. Journal of Management Information Systems, 36(1), 120-157.  https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2018.1550555
  56. Matheson, L. R., and Tarjan, R. E. (1998). Culturally induced information impactedness: A prescription for failure in software ventures. Journal of Management Information Systems, 15(2), 23-39.  https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.1998.11518207
  57. Maumbe, B. M., Owei, V., and Alexander, A. (2008). Questioning the pace and pathway of the government development in Africa: A case study of South Africa's Cape Gateway project. Government Information Quarterly, 25(4), 757-777.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.giq.2007.08.007
  58. McKnight, D. H., Carter, M., Thatcher, J. B. and Clay, P. F. (2011). Trust in a specific technology: An investigation of its components. ACM Transactions on Management Information Systems, 2(2), 12-32.  https://doi.org/10.1145/1985347.1985353
  59. Minkov, M., and Hofstede, G. (2012). Hofstede's fifth dimension: new evidence from the world values survey. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 43(1), 3-14.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022110388567
  60. Moertini, V. S. (2012). Managing risks at the project initiation stage of large is development for HEI: A case study in Indonesia. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 51(1), 1-23.  https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2012.tb00364.x
  61. Muriithi, N., and Crawford, L. (2003). Approaches to project management in Africa: implications for international development projects. International Journal of Project Management, 21(5), 309-319.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S0263-7863(02)00048-0
  62. Myers, M. D., and Tan, F. B. (2002). Beyond models of national culture in information systems research. Journal of Global Information Management, 10(1), 24-32.  https://doi.org/10.4018/jgim.2002010103
  63. Ndou, V. D. (2004). E-government for developing countries: Opportunities and challenges. The Electronic Journal of Information Systems in Developing Countries, 18(1), 1-24.  https://doi.org/10.1002/j.1681-4835.2004.tb00117.x
  64. Nohria, N. (1992). Is a network perspective a useful way of studying organizations?. In N. Nohria and R.G. Eccles (Eds.), Networks and Organizations: Structure, Form, and Action. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 1-21. 
  65. Ouchi, W. G., and Cuchi, W. G. (1981). Theory Z: How American Business can Meet the Japanese Challenge (Vol. 13). Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley. 
  66. Png, I. P., Tan, B. C., and Wee, K. L. (2001). Dimensions of national culture and corporate adoption of IT infrastructure. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 48(1), 36-45.  https://doi.org/10.1109/17.913164
  67. Powell, A., Piccoli, G., and Ives, B. (2004). Virtual teams: a review of current literature and directions for future research. ACM SIGMIS Database: the DATABASE for Advances in Information Systems, 35(1), 6-36.  https://doi.org/10.1145/968464.968467
  68. Quinn, R. E. (1988). Beyond rational management: Mastering the paradoxes and competing demands of high performance. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. 
  69. Robey, D., and Boudreau, M. C. (1999). Accounting for the contradictory organizational consequences of information technology: Theoretical directions and methodological implications. Information Systems Research, 10(2), 167-185.  https://doi.org/10.1287/isre.10.2.167
  70. Ruppel, C. P., and Harrington, S. J. (2001). Sharing knowledge through intranets: A study of organizational culture and intranet implementation. IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 44(1), 37-52.  https://doi.org/10.1109/47.911131
  71. Sackmann, S. A. (1992). Culture and subcultures: An analysis of organizational knowledge. Administrative Science Quarterly, 37(1), 140-161.  https://doi.org/10.2307/2393536
  72. Sakthivel, S. (2005). Virtual workgroups in offshore systems development. Information and Software Technology, 47(5), 305-318.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infsof.2004.09.001
  73. Schein, E. (2000). Sense and nonsense about culture and climate. In N. M. Ashkanasy, C. P. M. Wilderom, and M. F. Peterson (Eds.), Handbook of Organizational Culture & Climate. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage, xxiii-xxx 
  74. Schein, E. H. (2010). Organizational culture and leadership (Vol. 2). San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons. 
  75. Schumann, J. H., Wangenheim, F., Yang, Z., Jinenez, F., Komor, M., Praxmarer, S., and Shainesh, G. (2007). Cross-cultural differences in the development of trust in relational service exchange - An empirical analysis of the moderating role of uncertainly avoidance. Workshop on Trust Within and Between Organisations 4th Proceedings. 
  76. Shofolahan, T. O., and Kang, J. (2018). An integrated framework for modeling the influential factors affecting the use of voice-enabled IoT devices: A case study of amazon echo. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 28(4), 320-349.  https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2018.28.4.320
  77. Slaughter, S., and Ang, S. (1995). Information systems employment structures in the USA and Singapore: A cross-cultural comparison. Information Technology & People, 8(2), 17-36.  https://doi.org/10.1108/09593849510087985
  78. Srite, M. (1999). The influence of national culture on the acceptance and use of information technologies: An empirical study. American Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS) Proceedings, 355. 
  79. Steensma, H. K., Marino, L., Weaver, K. M., and Dickson, P. H. (2000). The influence of national culture on the formation of technology alliances by entrepreneurial firms. Academy of Management Journal, 43(5), 951-973.  https://doi.org/10.2307/1556421
  80. Straub, D., Keil, M., and Brenner, W. (1997). Testing the technology acceptance model across cultures: A three country study. Information & Management, 33(1), 1-11.  https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-7206(97)00026-8
  81. Suh, A. (2018). Sustaining the use of quantified-self technology: A theoretical extension and empirical test. Asia Pacific Journal of Information Systems, 28(2), 114-132.  https://doi.org/10.14329/apjis.2018.28.2.114
  82. Tan, B. C., Smith, H. J., Keil, M., and Montealegre, R. (2003). Reporting bad news about software projects: Impact of organizational climate and information asymmetry in an individualistic and a collectivistic culture. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 50(1), 64-77.  https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2002.808292
  83. Tan, B. C., Wei, K. K., Watson, R. T., Clapper, D. L., and Mclean, E. R. (1998). Computer-mediated communication and majority influence: Assessing the impact in an individualistic and a collectivistic culture. Management Science, 44(9), 1263-1278.  https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.44.9.1263
  84. Taylor, B. (2013). Let's make a success of failures. AfricanBarins: Innovation for Education. Retrieved from https://africanbrains.net/2013/08/07/lets-make-a-success-of-failures/
  85. Thatcher, J. B., Stepina, L. P., Srite, M., and Liu, Y. (2003). Culture, overload and personal innovativeness with information technology: Extending the nomological net. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 44(1), 74-81. 
  86. UN (2019). World economic situation and prospects: Statistical annex. United Nations, 168-206. 
  87. UNDP Kazakhstan (2013). Processes of public administration performance assessment and service delivery are streamlined in view of best international practices and leading ICT technologies - Kazakhstan. 
  88. UNDP Kazakhstan (2014). Assistance in improving the system of provision and evaluation of public services: ICT development in Kazakhstan. 
  89. UNDP LGSP I-II (2014). Local governance support program: Phase 1 and Phase 2: ICT development of Uzbekistan 2010-2015. 
  90. UNDP Uzbekistan (2014). E-government promotion for improved public service delivery in Uzbekistan, 2010-2015. 
  91. Vreede, G. J. D., Jones, N., and Mgaya, R. J. (1998). Exploring the application and acceptance of group support systems in Africa. Journal of Management Information Systems, 15(3), 197-234.  https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.1998.11518218
  92. Walsham, G. (2002). Cross-cultural software production and use: A structurational analysis. MIS Quarterly, 26(4), 359-380.  https://doi.org/10.2307/4132313
  93. World Bank (2014). World development report: Risks and opportunities. Washing, D.C: The World Bank. 
  94. Yanwan, W. (2012). The study on complex project management in developing countries. Physics Procedia, 25, 1547-1552. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.phpro.2012.03.274