The application of the standardized IT deployment strategy : Evidence from the Middle East

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which the standardized IT deployment strategy is employed within the manufacturing‐exporting firms in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach – A total of 500 self‐administered questionnaires are delivered to a random sample selected from a sample frame comprising the Jordanian manufacturing‐exporting firms. A research assistant is hired and trained to handle questionnaire distribution and collection as well as answer basic inquiries. The researcher deals with the more difficult inquiries. Findings – The study concludes that there is greater reliance on standardization and less acknowledgement of users and that IT deployment decisions remain technical and functional; only system requirements and functionality are taken into consideration; other factors including users are largely discarded. Research limitations/implications – This study is explorative in nature and therefore its focus is broad; subsector differences of the manufacturing/exporting firms are not studied. Practical implications – To maximize deployment outcome, firms need to place more emphasis on users, provide better training, and localize training materials. User feedback and participation should be encouraged and incorporated in all IT‐related decisions. Originality/value – This study reports results of the last of a series of several studies investigating deployment in Jordan, a country in the Middle East with a steep IT deployment learning curve, virtually no previous studies, and an academic field of IT deployment that remains largely unexplored.