The Diffusion of Enterprise Systems Within Organizations: A Social Learning Theory Perspective

Enterprise systems (ES) diffusion in organisations has been described in the technological innovation literature to progress linearly from one stage to the next. However, empirical investigations in the area suggest ES implementation is an ongoing process, going back and forward, and that in some cases never stop. Having reviewed studies using social learning theory (SLT), we propose that companies should manage the implementation of an ES as a gradual and progressive diffusion process that takes a long journey. Our investigation focused on the study of ES diffusion within sales and distribution area in a Latin American company dedicated to the processing and distribution of roasted and ground coffee. It has been found that a particular set of characteristics force companies to implement ES by phases, going forward and back, and activating several projects over the same areas once and again. Therefore, it has been suggested that companies could consider the implementation and diffusion of ES as a seamless process, which may be an endless one. This study contributes to the theoretical understanding of the diffusion of ES from a novel SLT perspective.