The Influence of National Culture on Information Technology Development, Implementation, and Support Challenges in China and the United States

ABSTRACT

Rapidly changing information technology challenges information technology management throughout the world. In-group collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, and assertiveness dimensions of national culture distinguish Chinese and U.S. culture. Vendor competitiveness, management confusion, incompatibility, poor quality, and training demands describe the challenges. Data from 91 Chinese and 246 American information technology managers revealed that U.S. information technology organizations experience more unexpected work, delays, and costs from management confusion and poor quality. Vendor competitiveness leads to management confusion, incompatibility, and poor quality in both cultures. However, only poor quality leads to training demands in China while management confusion, incompatibility, and poor quality do in the United States.

KEYWORDS:

• National culture
• rapid information technology change
• technology management
• uncertainty avoidance

Notes

1. A more recent analysis of the U.S. model with SmartPLS produced virtually the same results as did PLSGraph.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Xiang Fang

Xiang Fang is an associate professor of information systems at the Farmer School of Business, Miami University. He received his PhD in MIS from the University of Kentucky, MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. His main research interests are e-commerce, national culture and IS, and website design.

Albert L. Lederer

Albert L. Lederer is professor emeritus in the Management Department of the Gatton College of Business and Economics, University of Kentucky. He received his PhD in industrial and systems engineering and his MS in computer and information science from the Ohio State University. His research concerns information systems management.

John “Skip” Benamati

John “Skip” Benamati is a professor of information systems at the Farmer School of Business, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA. He holds a PhD in MIS from the University of Kentucky, an MSCS in information systems from Marist College. His research interests are privacy, culture, and IT strategy and management.