Enterprises' perceptions on business process re-engineering: a path analytic model

While the concept of Business Process Re-engineering (BPR) is appealing, outcomes have varied with many reported failures. Consequently, advocates of BPR have begun emphasizing the social aspect of implementing this strategy. In this study, we present a path analytic model of enterprises' perceptions about BPR from the perspectives of organizational structures and competitive environments. Questionnaires addressing the above concerns were sent to the Presidents of the 600 largest enterprises in Taiwan. Survey respondents generally contend that it is easier to rethink than to redesign. The intention of BPR appears to rely heavily (82%) on the supportive attitude and perceived usefulness of BPR. The supportive attitude (57%) appears to be predicted by perceived usefulness. Notably, the perceived ease of BPR has no direct effect on either supportive attitude or BPR's intention. This finding suggests that enterprises should encourage employees to believe that BPR is useful rather than simply to persuade them of its feasibility or ease. However, removing barriers that would allow enterprises to believe that BPR is easy would have direct effects on its perceived usefulness and, subsequently, indirect effects on employees supportive attitude and BPR's intention. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.