Effectiveness of top management support in enterprise systems success: a contingency perspective of fit between leadership style and system life-cycle

Top management support has been identified as one of the most important factors in the success of enterprise systems (ES). However, few studies have addressed the issue of what type of leadership is most effective in which phase of the ES life‐cycle. Given the different challenges to leadership in the different phases of an ES, a ‘one‐style‐fits‐all’ approach is clearly inadequate. In this study, we analyze the contingent fit between the recognized leadership styles and the phases in the ES life‐cycle. The evidence from a multi‐case study provides support for our contingency propositions that transformational leadership fits best with the adoption phase, transactional leadership fits best with the implementation phase, and two variations of combined transformational and transactional leadership styles are most effective in the assimilation and extension phases. This study breaks new theoretical ground in information systems literature by highlighting the contingencies of leadership effectiveness in the success of ES at different phases. It also provides prescriptive insights for top executives in terms of who to put in charge and what type of leadership style to look for when considering adopting and implementing new ES, assimilating the implemented systems, or contemplating integrations with business partners.