The effects of national culture on ERP implementation: a study of Colombia and Switzerland

This research explores the effects of national culture, as understood by Hofstede's concepts of power distance, individualist/collectivist and uncertainty avoidance. The study is based on case studies of ERP implementation in Colombia and Switzerland and interviews and document analysis methods were employed. Evidence is found on the ways the three dimensions impact on ERP implementation. It is concluded that although the two countries differ markedly in each dimension, there was no evidence of specific individualist/collectivist effects. The implications of this are discussed.