FACTORS AFFECTING THE ADOPTION OF OPEN SYSTEMS - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY

Advocates of open systems believe that problems related to compatibili ty, interoperability, scalability, and efficient use of IT resources c an be resolved by setting software and hardware standards and strictly adhering to these standards in systems development and management. Re presenting a major departure from the traditional way of running an IS operation, the adoption of open systems has major ramifications on th e IT infrastructure with longlasting effects. Unfortunately little res earch has been done to study this ubiquitous phenomenon despite its im pacts on organizational computing worldwide. To fill this research gap , a model that incorporates seven factors perceived to affect the adop tion is developed tested. In-depth interviews with senior executives r esponsible for managing corporate functions from 89 organizations were conducted to collect data for empirical analysis. findings suggest th at organizations tend to focus more on their ''ability to adopt'' than the ''benefits from adoption,'' and (2) take ''reactive'' rather than ''proactive'' attitude a dop ting open systems technology Managerial implications are also discussed.