Handle mergers and acquisitions with care: the fragility of trust between the IT-service provider and end-users

Abstract

Information technology (IT) implementation continues to be a challenging process for many organizations. The challenge is heightened when systems are changed due to mergers and acquisitions (M&A). The recent focus on IT-service management highlights the importance of having positive relationships between IT-service providers and end-users. In an M&A situation, there is often little history, and thus limited basis for trust in the IT organization, yet systems often need to be changed in these situations. The current study examines the IT-service provider’s relationship with the end-user to ascertain the factors that influence that relationship and ultimately influence end-user attitudes toward the new system. We study a mandated implementation following an acquisition in the banking industry. The results highlight the important and fragile nature of trust in the IT-service provider. In addition, the results demonstrate that there are significant differences in what matters at what time during the implementation process.

Keywords:

• IT-service provider
• mandatory system use
• mergers and acquisitions
• trust

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Susan A Brown

About the authors

Susan A. Brown is the McClelland Professor of Management Information Systems in the Eller College of the University of Arizona. She completed her Ph.D. at the University of Minnesota and an M.B.A. at Syracuse University. Prior to receiving her M.B.A., she worked as a programmer/analyst and IS manager in a hospital. Her research interests include technology implementation, individual adoption, computer-mediated communication, technology-mediated learning, and related topics. She has received funding for her research from the National Science Foundation, and other public and private organizations. Her work has appeared in leading journals, including MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Journal of Management Information Systems, Journal of the Association for Information Systems, and others. She has served as an AE at MIS Quarterly, Information Systems Research, Journal of the Association for Information Systems, and Decision Sciences, and is currently an SE at MIS Quarterly.

Anne P Massey

Anne Massey is the Associate Vice President for University Academic Planning and Policy at Indiana University. She is also the Dean’s Research Professor at the Kelley School of Business. She received her Ph.D. from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Professor Massey’s research centers on computer-mediated communication, collaborative systems and processes, and IT implementation. Her research has been published in the European Journal of Information Systems, Journal of Management Information Systems, MIS Quarterly, and Decision Sciences, among others. She is a member of the IEEE, Academy of Management, AIS, INFORMS and the Decision Sciences Institute.

Kerry W Ward

Kerry W. Ward is an associate professor at the University of Nebraska – Omaha. He received his Ph.D. from Indiana University. His research interests include IS strategy, knowledge transfer, technology-mediated learning and research methods. His research has been published in leading journals including the European Journal of Information Systems, Journal of AIS, and IEEE IT Professional.