A hermeneutic analysis of critical success factors for Enterprise Systems implementation by SMEs

ABSTRACT

This study employs the critical hermeneutic approach to identifying current knowledge limitations and propose future research directions. Through five hermeneutic cycles of review, analysis, synthesis and interpretation of the existing literature and success stories reported by 30 small-and-medium enterprises (SMEs), this study identifies critical success factors (CSFs) that are unique to SMEs, frequently cited in the literature, and influential as perceived by SMEs. The study offers contributions by providing a synthesis of CSFs for SMEs; highlighting current knowledge gaps; proposing avenues for future research; and demonstrating the suitability of the critical hermeneutic approach to studying CSFs for ES implementation.

KEYWORDS:

• Small-and-medium enterprises
• enterprise systems
• critical success factors
• ERP implementation
• hermeneutics

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank the three anonymous reviewers for their valuable feedback. We are also grateful to Mrs Sheighle Birdthistle and another anonymous individual for proofreading the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.