Theory Development in Enterprise Systems and Organizational Learning

Despite the wide-spread attention focused on Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems by both researchers and practitioners, there remain gaps in understanding their implementation and impacts. The majority of ERP research concerns either critical success factors or ERP effects. Very little has been done with regard to the relationship between ERP and organizational learning (OL). Much of the existing literature in this area focuses on learning during system implementation with a small amount of additional literature focusing on learning resulting from or connected to ERP use. The work of integrating research on ERP implementation and post-implementation effects is begun by identifying the use of OL as a lens for understanding these two phenomena. The paper makes two unique contributions to the existing literature. First, a case is built for ERP support of OL by emphasizing ERP decision-support capabilities. Second, a set of existing theoretical constructs is put forward as a possible basis for investigating the relationship between ERP implementation learning and post-implementation support of OL. Finally, the paper outlines areas for future investigation and provides a basic investigative framework to be pursued. Given that this research identifies connections between the two forms of learning, it is possible that what is represented is a lifecycle of OL within the ERP implementation/post-implementation chain of events.