Adapting global practices locally: a perspective on IT implementation in a developing country context

摘要

How can we theorize about the relationship between IT-based global economic activity and socio-economic development within developing countries (DCs)? In this paper, we outline a framework on the interaction between IT-based global trends and IT-enabled restructuring programs in a developing country context. This framework, grounded in an empirical study of information technology (IT) implementation within the Nigerian banking system suggests that implementing IT and organizational change programs in these banks involve a process of locally adapting the technology to fit the contexts of implementation. It is argued that such adaptation is a deliberate process of redefining the program to fit available organizational resources and an unconscious process arising out of the need to protect long-established traditions and rituals within the organization. By attempting to discuss the interaction of global practices and local interests through a discussion of IT-based restructuring of Nigerian banks, this paper aims to contribute to the growing body of literature aiming to understand what globalization actually means for DCs' organizations.