Resistance to system development: An equity-based model

In an effort to move information systems (IS) research toward a more sound theoretical base, an MIS Law was proposed by Gushing (1990). The proposed law states that systems success is inversely related to the amount of friction between users and analysts during systems development and implementation. This paper interprets friction as resistance to IS interaction. A model of this resistance is developed, emphasizing the equitable allocation of costs and resources. In the model causes of resistance are the result of management policies and actions. Resistance is hypothesized to increase with higher levels of resource conflict and organizational pressure. Equity theory provides the basis for operational definitions of these two variables. The level of resistance impacts the quality. of client-developer interaction. The higher the quality of interaction, the more likely the client will have a positive attitude toward the system being developed and will actually employ it when it is implemented. An experiment was conducted to test the developed model. The results of that experiment provided support for the model except that the effect of organizational pressure on the participant's attitude toward the new system was unexpectedly positive, which was opposite the prediction of the model. The resistance model and its test supply a framework to aggregate a large amount of prior systems research. Further, it provides a springboard for additional research into the consequences and costs of allowing resistance to IS to persist within the organization.