Impediments to inter-organisational system assimilation in healthcare supply chains: a technology diffusion perspective

The purpose of this paper is to examine the impediments reducing the success of inter-organisational system assimilation between hospitals and their trading partners. The authors took a qualitative, single case with embedded units research design approach. The impediments identified were classed into four categories: technological, resource, organisational and operating environment. The operating environment factor and its influence is a large component of the impediments. Further, interdependencies were found between the supply network players, inhibiting assimilation. The study enhances the understanding of where the impediments lie to implementing an IOS successfully, as impediments do not necessarily mirror the technology assimilation enablers.