Abstract:

Successful implementation of enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems has become a critical facilitator for efficient operations management in enterprises. Due to the ERP system implementations are managed via the project team, the effects of the centrifugal and centripetal forces (CCFs) on ERP implementation become an important research issue. The purpose of this paper is to identify the effects of the CCFs on successful ERP implementation and mentoring functions moderates the relationship between the CCFs and successful ERP implementation. Using survey data from 285 respondents collected from team members of ERP projects at small
and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Taiwan, we found that centripetal forces had positive effects on successful ERP implementation and centrifugal forces had no significant positive effects on successful ERP implementation. In addition, mentoring functions had positive effects on successful ERP implementation and mentoring functions also had negatively moderating effects on the relationship between centrifugal forces and successful ERP implementation and mentoring functions had positively moderating effects on the relationship between centripetal forces and successful ERP implementation. Moreover, high mentoring functions had better influences on successful ERP implementation than low mentoring functions when centrifugal forces is low, but high mentoring functions had better influences on successful ERP implementation no matter what centripetal forces is low or high. Based on this research, we suggest that enterprises in implement ERP projects should effectively use mentoring functions to manipulate the CCFs to improve the effectiveness of ERP implementation.