A Tug-of-War: Shaping the Landscape of Inter-Organizational Information Systems

49 Pages Posted: 6 Apr 2016

See all articles by Irina Romochkina

Irina Romochkina

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Rotterdam School of Management (RSM); Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM)

Peter J. van Baalen

University of Amsterdam

Rob Zuidwijk

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Rotterdam School of Management (RSM); Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM)

Date Written: April 3, 2016

Abstract

Many fi rms have to use more than one inter-organizational information system (IOS) to support their communications with partners. The use of multiple systems can reduce the full benefits of IOS adoption. To account for this, we introduce a new concept: the landscape of inter-organizational information systems. Relying on collective action theory, we describe how opposing strategies of actors shape the IOS landscape and preclude the business community from attaining the landscape which represents collective level optimum because of the exclusive nature of this public good. Individual firms, alliances, and community representatives push the IOS landscape either towards more standardization, more hub-type connections, and less substitutable IOSs, or towards less standardization, more point-to-point connections, and more substitutable IOSs. Certain interests can prevail for a while but in practice there seems to be no equilibrium state for the business community IOS landscape which can be sustained for a prolonged period of time. We support our theoretical propositions with evidence from a case study in a seaport setting.

Keywords: inter-organizational information system, EDI, information infrastructure, business community, case study, seaport, transportation industry

Suggested Citation

Romochkina, Irina and van Baalen, Peter J. and Zuidwijk, Rob A., A Tug-of-War: Shaping the Landscape of Inter-Organizational Information Systems (April 3, 2016). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2754040 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2754040

Irina Romochkina (Contact Author)

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
Room T08-21
3000 DR Rotterdam, 3000 DR
Netherlands

Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands

Peter J. Van Baalen

University of Amsterdam ( email )

Roeterstraat 11
Amsterdam, Z-H 1018 WB
Netherlands
+31 20 525 4320 (Phone)

Rob A. Zuidwijk

Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) - Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) ( email )

P.O. Box 1738
Room T08-21
3000 DR Rotterdam, 3000 DR
Netherlands

Erasmus Research Institute of Management (ERIM)

P.O. Box 1738
3000 DR Rotterdam
Netherlands

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
82
Abstract Views
729
Rank
540,997
PlumX Metrics