Packaged software in China: a manager's support roles during implementation

Abstract

This case study explores the change agent roles a manager can play to support an IS specialist when implementing a packaged software. The case concerns a small US-Chinese joint venture, located in China. In part, because of the support roles played by the manager, the IS implementation eventually succeeded. The IS change agent models hypothesised by Markus and Benjamin (l996) serve as a lens to interpret the case. A framework is offered for perceiving how managers can provide change agent support in an IS implementation in general, and in particular in a packaged software implementation in a US-Chinese joint venture. Implications for practitioners and researchers are addressed.