Decision Sciences Journal
Volume 30, Number 3
Summer 1999
The Role of Organizational and Information Technology Antecedents
in Reengineering Initiation Behavior
Varun Grover, Kirk D. Fiedler, and James T. C. Teng
Management Science Department, University of South Carolina,
Columbia, SC 29208, e-mail: vgrover@sc.edu,
fiedler@darla.badm.sc.edu,
fsujteng@darla.badm.sc.edu
ABSTRACT. Business Process Reengineering (BPR) has
been a major catalyst of the pervasive organizational change
we have witnessed over the past decade. Although one can speculate
on the reasons for the popularity of this phenomenon, it is important
that we carefully examine its underlying antecedents for initiation,
implementation, and ultimately success, if we are to add value
to practitioners of this concept. This study empirically examines
the importance of facets of the organizational structure, IT
knowledge resources and infrastructure, and the IS function in
the initiation of BPR. Data from 313 corporations were gathered
using a carefully validated survey, and initiators were compared
with noninitiators. The results strongly suggest that client-server
architectures, the strategic integration of IS, and cross departmental
interaction are among the more important factors facilitating
initiation and can be important inputs in a BPR decision-making
process. The study attempts to build a contingent theory for
BPR, and the more sustainable notion of fundamental process change.
Subject Areas: Business Process Change, Information
Technology, Reengineering, and Survey Research. |