Information Technology Implementation Research: A Technological Diffusion Approach

Based on the innovation and technological diffusion literatures, promising research questions concerning the implementation of a production and inventory control information system (material requirements planning: MRP) are identified and empirically examined. These questions focus on the interaction of managerial tasks with the information technology and the resulting effect on the adoption and infusion of that technology.

Using a random sample of manufacturing firms across the United States, we find that this interaction does indeed affect the adoption of MRP, though it does not seem to affect MRP infusion. These results support the notion that though rational decision models may be useful in explaining information technology adoption, political and learning models may be more useful when examining infusion.