THE ROLE OF POWER, DECISION MAKING, AND KNOWLEDGE IN CONDUCTING IS PROJECTS: A FIELD STUDY

摘要

Power conflicts are a pervasive phenomenon and an omnipresent variable in the organizational life. Hence the need to study them. Nevertheless, interpersonal power conflicts are a neglected topic in Information System development (ISD). Based on defined properties of interpersonal power conflicts identified in the management and organizational behaviour literature, this paper uses a qualitative approach to explore the relationship between power exercise and the success or failure of an IS project. The present study was conducted in the Tunisian Chemical Group in order to explain the failure of the budgetary application. It is concluded that knowledge held by users or IS professionals is the main source of their power. Such power is exerted in order to influence the process of decision making. Furthermore, a significant difference between powers exerted by each stakeholder emerged throughout this study: (1) Through their power, IS professionals tried to involve users in the project development, (2) Users manipulated the knowledge they possess to hinder the ISD process, (3) Top Management power was necessary, especially for resolving power conflicts occurring between these two teams. In addition, power games were determined by stakeholders' perception of the advantages of such application. In fact, owing to a non-perception of any interest, users resisted disseminating and sharing information they hold. This was the primary cause for the budgetary failure.