Managing EDI for corporate advantage: A longitudinal study

This research attempts to identify the benefits that organizations gain by using EDI, the conditions under which these advantages can be attained, and their variation with time. Using a longitudinal design, 65 Canadian organizations were surveyed twice over a three-year period. In phase 1, factors such as the organizational support, the implementation process, the control procedures, and the integration of EDI were found to be positively related to the attainment of EDI advantages whereas, the imposition of EDI by business partners had a negative effect. In phase 2, the implementation process and the imposition of EDI lost their importance, imposition having only a positive effect on the organizational context. The reasons for these changes are discussed. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.