An institutional perspective on developing and implementing intranet‐ and internet‐based information systems

This paper adopts a constructivist, case‐based research strategy to examine the development and implementation of intranet‐ and internet‐based information systems (IS) in a single organization. Institutional theory is used to describe, explain and understand the commitments of social actors in the development of web‐based IS. The findings illustrate that: (1) social and organizational problems similar to those that beset ‘traditional’ IS development arise in the development and implementation of web‐based IS; (2) ‘top‐down’ development and implementation strategies give rise to more conflict and change management problems than ‘bottom‐up’ approaches; and (3) fostering high levels of commitment to organizational imperatives is key to the successful development and implementation of web‐based IS.