Managing Fit between Organizational Functionality, Package Features and Stakeholder Needs During Enterprise Accounting Systems Implementation: A Process Analysis

Multiple stakeholder involvement in Enterprise System implementations makes it challenging. Using Fiedler’s (2005) contingency theory of leadership as an analytical lens, this study examines the Organization-Package-Stakeholder (OPS) fit, managing fit between organizational functionality, package features and stakeholder needs during ES implementations. We develop a framework on managing OPS fit in the implementation of Learning Environment Online (LEO) system at the Republic Polytechnic (RP) of Singapore. The leadership styles suited to each of the three system development phases of planning, development and post-implementation are moderated by situational contingency variables. The interplay between the contingency variables power (legitimizing, applying and reserving), knowledge (externalising, utilising, disseminating), identity (specialising, reinforcing, collaborating) and inter-relationship (connecting, augmenting, synergising) at each phase is demonstrated in the case. Our analysis suggests task oriented leadership styles and contingency variable power dominated during the planning phase; task oriented leadership style and contingency variable knowledge took precedence during the development phase while relationship leveraging leadership style and contingency variables identity and inter-relationship were applied during post-implementation.