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.