The extant Enterprise Systems (ES) literature shows a great emphasis on Western large organisations, and the user perspective is considered prime. The survey method is dominant in this literature, focusing on what motivates an
implementation and on the factors that are critical to implementation success. In the main such survey work treats ES implementation as an event with the analysis focused on input factors and outputs. In contrast, this paper examines ES adoption and implementation in Chinese SMEs by considering not only the user perspective but also the ES provider and the wider institutional setting. The use of the case study method captures the dynamics of the implementation process and the changing relationships between the stakeholders. Both actor
network theory and institutional theory inform the analysis.
The findings are potentially significant and challenge user-centered theories of adoption. The institutional influences are shown to be weaker than anticipated in China context.