Differences in perspectives between enterprise system consultants: An inquiry into technology frame of reference in health care

Although researchers have investigated how organizations work with consultants to navigate complexities and uncertainties in enterprise system (ES) implementation, we know little about how consultants view ES implementation projects. Moreover, ES consultants are typically assumed to be homogenous in their assumptions, expectations, and knowledge, with little emphasis on how their different roles impact perceptions. Against this backdrop, we adapt Technology Frame of Reference (TFR) theory to investigate how differences in perspectives between two types of consultants, vendor and independent consultants, manifest during ES implementation in the health care context. Our approach results in two contributions: 1) identification of similarities and differences in how distinct consultant types perceive ES implementations in health care, and 2) systematic application of TFR across roles within a profession rather than across stakeholders within a specific organizational context. We discuss these contributions and their implications in relation to ES consulting and TFR theory.