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The University of NottinghamCentre for Enterprise Systems Research

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RESEARCH THEMES

To enhance our understanding of the adoption of Enterprise Systems, five distinctive yet interrelated research themes have been chosen, as follows:-

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems
This theme aims to address issues related to the implementation and appropriation of enterprise systems. Building upon prior studies that have primarily emphasised critical success factors and stage models of implementation, the Centre aims to explore the relationship between social and technical issues resulting from the adoption of enterprise systems. For instance, issues, such as the impact of social capital on enterprise systems implementation, potential restrictions on technological innovation and tension between inter-group competition and collaboration, are part of the focus under this theme.

Enterprise Systems in the Public Sector (E-Government)
The E-Government theme aims to highlight the growing popularity of enterprise systems adoption in the public sector as a means of creating an alterative channel of service provision. In addition to issues that are similar to those encountered by firms in the private sector, enterprise systems implementation in the context of public sector organisations is unique, because its end users often involve outsiders, i.e. the public. Hence, the Centre aims to address issues, such as stakeholder management and service quality, as well as notions like educating end users and feedback management.

Enterprise Knowledge Management (KM)
The enterprise knowledge management theme aims to build on the existing knowledge management literature and address the social aspects of knowledge systems that are often neglected in ES research. In addition to the investigation of the relationship between information and knowledge management influenced by the adoption of ES, this theme also pays particular attention to the social contexts, such as community of practice and social networks, where knowledge systems are formed and used.

Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
The customer relationship management theme represents the front-end of the ES through which the interaction between an organisation and its customers is facilitated or inhibited. The emphasis is placed upon not only the potential of customer relationship management in relation to an organisation's growth and innovation, but also incremental and radical change that is required to practise customer relationship management as a principle, rather than a technology-enabled process.

Retailing and Future Technology
The retailing and future technology theme aims to explore the implications of new technology and its potential impacts on organisations. Two foci are addressed under this theme. First, it is the utilisation of new technology in the retailing sector. For instance, issues related to the notion of self-check out will be researched. Second, issues of how organisations can apply new technologies to create alternative work arrangements and the impact of this on employees. For instance, work arrangements, such as mobile working and hot-desking, are part of the issues examined under this theme.