Evolutionary paths of inter-organizational information systems (IOIS)

This paper is based on a comparative case study on the development of electronic ordering systems – an example of inter-organizational information systems (IOIS) – linking pharmaceutical wholesalers and pharmacies in Ireland and Australia respectively. Based on a brief account of the market structure we will reconstruct core elements of wholesalers’ and pharmacies’ strategies with respect to (electronic) ordering and delivery. In order to explain the implementation, enactment and subsequent modification of the wholesalers’ strategies in the two countries, we will scrutinize the role of third parties, namely the role of the pharmacy associations and the software vendors. The analysis emphasizes the role of associations and software vendors for the stabilization of the IOIS albeit in markedly different ways. Moreover the role of standards, specifically product codes, and systems architectures becomes obvious. The case studies cover a period of about 20 years and thus allow us to develop explanations for the observed dynamics and stability in a historical perspective. While we have used path dependency theory as sensitizing device for the historical analysis, we have also found shortcomings of its explanatory power regarding mechanisms of stabilization. Hence we suggest to extend the path perspective by a more elaborate study of social dynamics.