Investigating the Role of Stakeholders in EAI Adoption Process in Local Government Authorities

Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) technologies are large, comprehensive solutions that are complex to adopt and manage. The EAI adoption process involves several stakeholders, each with specific domain knowledge and expertise that are crucial to the success of EAI projects. It would therefore be prudent to give greater attention to the research on investigating the role of several stakeholders in EAI adoption process in Local Government Authorities (LGAs). This paper commences by identifying different categories of stakeholders involved. Thereafter, investigating the dynamic nature and importance of their role and why their domain knowledge and expertise are vital for EAI projects. It then applies the concepts of stakeholder theory to analyse the importance of stakeholders during EAI adoption process with regards to EAI adoption factors i.e. exploring the perception of different stakeholders on the factors influencing EAI adoption in LGAs and their involvement on the adoption lifecycle phases. In order to conduct this research, the authors follow a qualitative multiple case study approach. The empirical findings highlight that each stakeholder involved in the EAI adoption process has a significant role by utilising their knowledge and expertise, contributing towards the success of the EAI projects and improving organisational performance. Finally, this study presents the potential area for future research.