Tales of Resistance in an Australian University

Abstract

Many universities have taken the expensive path of ERP implementation. It is a worrying thought to hear staff comments such as “we have bought a system that never met our needs in any way … we have had to change almost everything in the university to fit a system instead of having a system to fit us.” Organizational fit and system success have been well covered in the literature. This chapter brings to the discussion resistance and how power can be used to perpetuate resistance. The chapter also discusses that not all resistance is bad and that it can actually represent business issues which need addressing. This chapter has focussed on the perceptions of the administration staff local to the academic elements and how they have reacted to the sweeping changes of an ERP.