Boundary Spanning Role of the IS Development Team in Consultant-Partnered Projects

Abstract

This research examines the effect an Information Systems (IS) development team has on end-users’ perceptions of system quality and system benefits by transferring relevant knowledge through inter- and intra-firm boundaries. The research context is the prevalent partnership in which an external consultant with relevant expertise leads a client team to undertake an IS project. A high-level research model that depicts dynamics among team competence (for knowledge transfer), consultant partnership (with the project team), knowledge transfer (through inter- and intra-firm boundaries), and project success is proposed grounded on the theory of boundary spanning. Key indicators of team competence and consultant partnership are derived from existing studies. With expected multiplicity in the conceptual dimensions of team competence and consultant partnership, they are designated as second-order constructs with first-order manifest variables. User perceptions of the post-implementation quality and benefits of an information system serve as project success variables. Relevant hypotheses propose dynamics among the studied constructs. Survey data are gathered from both system developers and end-users, and the integrity of the research model and corresponding hypotheses are empirically tested with structural equation modeling. Data analysis confirmed the importance of knowledge transfer for the post-implementation success of an IS project.