DIALECTICAL HERMENEUTICS - A THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF INFORMATION-SYSTEMS

Despite the proliferation of information technology, the implementatio n of information systems remains problematic. Many systems fail to liv e up to expectations and some end up as disasters. Research on impleme ntation has been conducted for the past two decades, but no theoretica l framework for IS implementation has been widely accepted. This paper proposes dialectical hermeneutics as a theoretical framework for IS i mplementation research. Dialectical hermeneutics, as an integrative th eoretical framework, combines both interpretive and critical elements, and addresses those social and organizational issues which are critic al to the successful implementation of information systems. The case s tudy research method was used to examine the implementation of systems in three organizations.