Ambiguity in Information Systems Projects - the Case of Enterprise System Implementations

This research aimed to explore how ambiguity is manifested and managed during the Information Systems projects, basing on the case of the implementations of Enterprise Systems. The research was based on a multiple case study method. Five cases were selected using literal replication. The cases were added to the research until theoretical saturation was achieved. Participant observation and analysis of documentation were used as data collection methods. The results show that ambiguity was present predominantly in the initial phases of the projects and was related both to the requirements definition and solution design. The remedy to reduce ambiguity was co-production involving problem definition, negotiation and debate, sense-making, selectionism, learning and accommodation. Despite efforts, ambiguity was not reduced completely till the late phases of the projects.