“Too Many Cooks Spoiling a Soup”? Making Sense of a Distributed, Multi-party IS Project

Abstract This paper analyzes collaboration in a distributed, multiparty information system (IS) development and implementation project. Existing research on collaboration in IS projects, and particularly in distributed, multiparty IS projects, is reviewed. In addition, collaboration is empirically analyzed by utilizing a phenomenographic approach. Empirical analysis shows that collaboration as a theme emerged strongly. Different organizations viewed the project and collaboration in the project in divergent ways, but there were also varied and contradictory views within the organizations. Implications both for research and practice are discussed.