The document examines the implementation of ERP systems from user perspectives within an Indian higher education context, focusing on a case study at a graduate business school. It addresses motivations, perceptions, and factors influencing user resistance, highlighting organizational dynamics and technical issues encountered during the ERP implementation process. The findings suggest that customization, user training, and alignment with institutional practices are critical for successful ERP adoption in this setting.

1. User perceptions, motivations and implications on
ERP usage: An Indian Higher Education Context
Jyoti M. Bhat, Bhavya Shroff & Rajendra K. Bandi
Indian Institute of Management,
Bangalore, India
CONFENIS -2012

2. Agenda
• Study ERP implementation from user perspectives
• Case study of ERP implementation in an Indian higher
education institution.

3. Theoretical Background
Existing literature
ERP Implementation Change Mgmt. in ERP in Developing
ERP Product in HE countries
HE
•HE modules being •User motivation and •Challenges of IT
added to products involvement •Challenges of Org. experience, firm
•Maturity of the HE •Lack of shared Structure size, infrastructure
functionality understanding of •Communication • lack of “computer”
•Critical Success project goal mechanisms culture
Factors for ERP •Semi formal business •Decision Making • “Cultural misfit” of
implementation process in HE Process ERP product
•Change in job •Org. Resistance
characteristics and role
Literature Gap
• ERP studies from a user perspective
• Study CSF priorities based on national and cultural issues.

4. Research Question & Method
• Does the Indian HE context offer unique context for ERP
implementation?
• Explores in terms of administrative and management work practices, perceptions
of the administrative and academic work-force about ERP, decision-making and
change management.
• Case Study using semi-structured open-ended interviews
• Twelve interviewees across various roles of Administrative Officer,
Admissions officer and staff at various program offices and functional
departments

5. Case study - The HE institute
• Indian Graduate Business School (GBS) – established in 70s, one of
the premier institutes for management education and research
• Quasi-government organization
• 2000 students, 200 staff, 30 interns and consultants, 85 contract employees and
120 faculty members
• Administrative staff with the Institute since the early days of Institute
- much longer than the faculty
• Most of the staff is due to retire
• Manual Processes with spread sheets and documents
• Very little process documentation, Processes have evolved over time
• Many support services have been outsourced – facilities management,
IT infrastructure support

6. GBS – Organization Structure
• Management and Administrative roles handled by faculty as additional
responsibilities with support from Admin staff
• Types of functions
• Purely administrative (facility management, estate maintenance, travel etc.),
• Academic administration (library, computer centre, placement cell) and
• Purely academic (the programs, faculty research)
Director
Dean Dean
(Administration) (Academic)
Chief
Administrative
Head ,
Finance
Chairperson,
Program 1 … Chairperson,
Program n
Officer
Head, Head, Hostel & Chairperson Chairperson
Personnel Mess admin Area1 …. Area n

7. IT at GBS
• No in-house IS team, No executive role for IS
• IT infrastructure and support operations outsourced
• Prior to ERP
• Admin processes were ‘islands of automation’
• Many manual processes – Fee payments, HR processes, Student feedback, course
and resource scheduling
• Processes not standard across programs
• Lack of information on utilization and availability of resources
• Lack of regular reporting, data in silos
• Not every employee had access to desktop computers till recently

8. Why ERP ?
• Increased scale, scope and complexity of administration
due to increased student intake and new programs
• Increasing expectations from stakeholders on the
services, productivity and responsiveness of the Institute
• Issues of aging workforce, retention of organizational
process knowledge and sustenance of administrative
process improvements
• GBS’s vision of being a world class institution using a
process-centric approach, leveraging tech for optimal
utilization of resources

9. ERP Implementation at GBS
First attempt at Abandoned - organizational dynamics and lack of consensus on
ERP (2006) decisions
Current ERP Product evaluation & Implementation
implementation
(2008) selection
Championed by • Product Selection Team -Finance •Implementation team ( Finance Head, ERP
Dean (Admin) head, CAO and a few faculty Chairperson, External ERP Consultant,
with Director’s members Vendor Manager)
support • Process scripts used for evaluation • GBS - No Implementation experience
• Software and implementation by •No ERP related goals for staff and Depts.
same vendor • No formal communication mechanisms from
• Demo by vendor to process users Management on ERP
• Phased implementation •Vendor - First ERP HE in India; no ERP
experience with India team
People Issues
• Unable to attend training sessions
• Resistance to double data-entry
• Hesitance to share knowledge

10. Case Analysis (1/2)
Motivations User Perceptions
Management motivation •System does not meet their needs
•Handle administration complexity by •Indian Universities are not like US Univs
centralization and automation of •Can’t change our process to suit the
processes across programs system
•Retention of organizational process •Processes are different across programs –
knowledge ERP can’t handle this
•Ensure continuity in efficiency •Not involved in ERP selection
improvements in administration •Requirements not taken from them
• Meet the rising expectations from all •Training not provided on time
stakeholders •External Consultant seen as a bottleneck
• Provide shared access to data for •Change Job Characteristics
decision support
•Senior staff felt ERP can’t handle all
User Motivation
complexities, human intervention
• Focus on other student activities required
• Reduce data entry requirement •Junior staff feel they can do more value
• Follow orders adding work
•Minor power struggle visible
• Learn new technology

11. Case Analysis contd.. (2/2)
Technical Issues & Decisions
Decision Impact
•Level of customization based on •Users unaware of the decision
department type ( admin, pure •Users expected the flexibility, forms and data formats
academic, academic admin) currently used Felt ERP was not meeting their needs
• ERP design considered data security, • No explicit data security and privacy policy formed or
control and data integrity communicated
• Users confused as they did not have access to data
available in system which was not relevant to them
• Users perceived too many checks and controls on data
• One-off type of reports not included • User perception that the reports are not flexible
as standard report types
• Policy decisions on data calculations • Staff felt ERP reports did not match manual
and exception handling calculations
• Prioritize automation as compared to • Employee frustration due to bad user interface and no
usability visible benefits
• Training focused on data entry and not ERP usage

12. Lessons Learnt !
• Perceptions built during the course of the ERP implementation lead to
user resistance
• Negative perceptions can spread through peer influences
• Implicit goals for ERP implementation affect user perceptions:
• Organization structure affects the long-term perspective of ERP
• Aging workforce issues hinder ERP implementation
• ERP product ‘fit’ to the Indian HE context has to be checked
• Absence of in-house IS team creates conflicts
• User training needs to be customized to the level of awareness
• Need for explicit data related policies during ERP implmentation

13. Key References
• Abugabah, A., Sanzogni, L.: Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System in Higher
Education: A literature Review and Implications, World Academy of Science,
Engineering and Technology, vol 71. (2010)
• Gyampah, K. A.: ERP implementation factors A comparison of managerial and end-user
perspectives. Business Process Management Journal, vol 10, iss 2, pp. 171-183. (2004)
• Hong, K..K., Kim, Y.G.: The critical success factors for ERP implementation: an
organizational fit perspective. Information & Management, vol 40, pp. 25–40. (2002)
• Huang,Z.,Palvia,P.: ERP implementation issues in advanced and developing countries.
Business Process Management Journal, vol. 7, iss. 3, pp. 276 – 284 (2001)
• Lechtchinskaia, L.,Uffen, J.,Breitner, M.H.: "Critical Success Factors for Adoption of
Integrated Information Systems in Higher Education Institutions – A Meta-Analysis”
AMCIS 2011 Proceedings. (2011)
• Von Hellens L., Nielsen S., Beekhuyzen J.: Qualitative case studies on implementation of
enterprise wide systems. Hershey PA: Idea Group. (2005)

14. Thank You!
Dr. Rajendra K. Bandi
rbandi@iimb.ernet.in
Indian Institute of Management Bangalore
Bannerghatta Road, Bangalore – 560 076, INDIA
www.iimb.ernet.in