User Satisfaction as the Foundation of the Success Following an ERP Adoption

Abstract

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) adoptions keep consolidating as a critical IT initiative in developing regions. Although Latin America has exhibited lately the largest growth in terms of ERP adoption rate worldwide, there is a gap in the literature focused in examining the success and underlying causes of such adoptions there. This study develops and tests a theoretical model proposing factors that determine the success of ERP Latin American adoptions. A qualitative exploration proposes a model which is corroborated empirically with data from 49 firms using Structural Equations Modeling. The results suggest that User Satisfaction is the foundation for the success and its key role as a mediator between ERP Ease of Use capacities, Formal Communication Program, Project Implementation Success and the Success of the Adoption is also introduced. These results are compared with existing studies and the implications of the findings for research and practice are discussed.